No reprieve for Ruth Kamande over death sentence for stabbing boyfriend 22 times

The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence of Ruth Kamande, an inmate at Lang’ata Women’s Prison.

The Office of the Director of Prosecution lauded the decision saying justice has been served.

Kamande is accused of stabbing her boyfriend 22 times at Buruburu estate, Nairobi in September 2015.

High Court Judge Jessie Lessit sentenced Kamande to death in 2017 saying the Prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the offense.

Kamande however appealed the sentence and sought the intervention of the Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling.

According to her lawyer, the accused had “established a close relationship with God” since being taken into custody in 2015.

The advocate told the court that Ms. Kamande had converted to Islam and had since become religious and prays five times a day.

The court further heard that the accused had enrolled to study theology education at the prison, an indication that her stay in custody had streamlined her.

The court was also told that Ms. Kamande was the only child to her single mum after her younger brother passed on.

“When arrested, the 21 years old then had just been enrolled at JKUAT to study Business, a dream which was shuttered by the circumstances here in,” submitted her advocate.

On their side, the prosecution urged the judge to hand Kamande a death penalty for being arrogant during the trial.

“The 24-year-old then, whose life was cut short is an orphan and had a task of provide for the rest of the family members, hence justice should prevail,” said the prosecution counsel.

Kamande, who has been in remand since 2015, had argued that things escalated after she discovered a hospital card which suggested that Mohammed was undergoing HIV treatment.

When she confronted her boyfriend about it, she claimed, he threatened her saying they would both rather die than have his HIV status known to the public.

The argument, according to the beauty pageant, got out of hand, when she discovered letters from two other women.

Ms. Kamande claimed she stabbed her boyfriend with a kitchen knife after it fell on her as they were struggling on the ground.

Additional report by Agnes Oloo