Moses Dola jailed for 10 years for killing NTV reporter Wambui Kabiru
Journalist Moses Dola has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for his role in the death of former NTV reporter Wambui Kabiru.
High Court judge Roseline Korir ruled that even though Mr Dola was found to be remorseful and failed to secure a job since the trial started, it would be improper to set him free.
The judge also pointed out the murder trial has been punctuated with free flow of information between relatives of both parties who even wept during trial, provisions in the law allow for the need to deploy the process of reconciliation.
“I agree with his grief on joblessness, however, this would not be a proper reason not to punish him for the murder since there are a vast of other jobless people in the country,” said Justice Korir.
She added: “I am convinced that a custodial sentence is good enough and I hereby sentence him to ten years in prison.”
On October 5, judge Roseline Korir found Dola guilty of manslaughter and ordered the cancellation of his bond terms.
DECISION
The judge also directed that he be held at the Nairobi Industrial Area Prison while awaiting his sentence.
“I am not sure he intended to kill her, the court is prepared to give him the benefit of doubt,” Justice Korir ruled.
The judge ordered for a pre-sentencing report, saying that it would not interfere with her decision on the sentence she was going to hand him.
The accused, who is being represented by lawyer Cliff Ombeta, denied committing murder in the trial that began about seven years ago.
Ms Kabiru was killed on May 1, 2011 at the couple’s house in Nairobi’s Umoja estate.
Her lifeless body was found in their locked bedroom carefully tucked in bed.
DEAD WIFE
On the fateful day, the accused allegedly left his dead wife in their house and went on a drinking spree while pretending that all was well.
It is the deceased’s brother and neighbours who later found her dead body in the locked bedroom of their house while Mr Dola allegedly went into hiding for a few days before surrendering himself to the police in Naivasha.
The couple’s househelp told court that the deceased would usually hand the baby to her in the morning but, on that fateful day, Dola was the one who did it.
In his defence, Dola told court that the deceased attacked him with a pair of scissors and a struggle ensued, during which his wife fell down and hurt her head.