Woman escapes death sentence

A woman survived a life sentence and was jailed for five years by a Meru court after she was found guilty of killing her one month old daughter.

Meru chief magistrate, Evans Makori sentenced Mercy Kagwiria the accused after the probation report tabled in court indicated that the accused was not suitable to serve a Community Service Order sentence.

Kagwiria age 35 was accused of murdering her eighth born daughter Mercy Mwende aged one month.

State prosecutor Thuku told the court that “Kagwiria strangled the minor on August 29, 2015 at Thiigu village, in Buuri Sub County,” State prosecutor Thuku told the court.

The prosecution added that the minor’s body was found lying in the bed of her mother before she was arrested by police.

Post mortem report submitted in court showed that there was blood oozing from the minor nostrils, a possibility of hang.

Kagwiria had shocked the court earlier after she admitted killing her daughter as she told the magistrate she was living a miserable life with eight kids and had opted to killing the new born after the man who impregnated her left her.

Makori had sought for probation before sentencing, but Probation officer Caroline Arimi told the court that Kagwiria was not suitable for a CSO sentence.

She said that after the probation department interviewed the community and family members during the investigation they realized the accused was lethal and none of the family members was willing accommodate her back.