Man who chopped off wifes limbs jailed for life

A Makindu court on Wednesday (December 5) sentenced a man to life imprisonment ending a woman’s two-year quest for justice following the maiming of her hands and leg.

Senior Resident Magistrate Gerald Mutiso found Ruben Kivuva guilty of having chopped off the limbs of his wife, Judy Muendi, two years ago.

The incident occurred at Emali, Makueni County in December 2015 where Kivuva, a butcher, is reported to have used a machete to chop off the hands and leg of the mother to his three children.

The machete is reportedly the same one he used to butcher cows at the local market.

He has been in custody since 2015.

Ms. Muendi and her mother, Reginah Wayua, said they were satisfied by the court’s decision. “We feel paid at last,” they said.

This brings to an end a case that grabbed public attention in 2016 when photos of Ms. Muendi and the story of her maiming went viral on social media.

In 2016, in a media interview, Ms Muendi said that she had left it to God to forgive her husband for the act. “I have told God to decide. He chopped off my hands and leg. He cut my head only God knows what to do with him.”