NAIROBI,Kenya, Jul 7 – Eldoret High Court has sentenced a man to 35 years in prison after finding him guilty of murdering two of his young children by poisoning them with food laced with a toxic chemical following a domestic dispute with his wife.
The conviction was secured by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which said prosecutors proved beyond reasonable doubt that Musa Saka deliberately poisoned the children by serving them vegetables contaminated with Triatix, a chemical commonly used as an acaricide.
The court heard that before the killings, Saka had quarrelled with his wife, who subsequently left the matrimonial home, leaving their four children in his care.
On the day of the incident, the family ate ugali and vegetables prepared by the eldest child before going to bed. Moments later, the children developed severe stomach pains.
“One of the children managed to gather enough strength to seek help, prompting a neighbour to respond and find the accused and the other children in critical condition,” ODPP said.
One of the children managed to leave the house and seek help from a neighbour, who found Saka and the remaining children in critical condition.
They were rushed to hospital, but two of the children later died from the poisoning.
A surviving child gave crucial testimony during the trial, recounting the events leading to the deaths and helping prosecutors establish the father’s culpability.
The prosecution team, led by Brenda Oduor, Emma Okok and Claire Muriithi, urged the court to impose a custodial sentence, arguing that Saka had committed a grave betrayal of parental trust by intentionally killing his own children.
The State further submitted that the murders were premeditated and carried out in an exceptionally cruel manner, warranting a stiff sentence to serve as a deterrent.
In sentencing Saka to 35 years’ imprisonment on each count, Justice Wananda said the victims had suffered a horrific death at the hands of the very person responsible for their protection and care.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that the offence represented a serious abuse of parental authority and deserved a substantial custodial sentence.
