A Naivasha-based teacher who strangled her four children in June 2020 will spend the rest of her life in prison.
Beatrice Mwende, a Mathematics teacher, was convicted after pleading guilty to the four murder charges.
The 44-year-old woman had earlier denied the charges but changed tune in 2022, confessing to killing the children. She said she changed her mind after consulting her lawyer.
Mwende had been charged that on the night of June 26 and 27, 2020, she killed the minors through strangulation in Kabati estate, Naivasha.
Prosecutor Nelly Maingi told the court that Mwende started by strangling her youngest child, 2-year-old Whitney Nyambura, before proceeding to murder the remaining three; Melody Warigia (8 years old), Willy Macharia (6 years old), and Samantha Njeri (4 years old).
During the trial, Mwende said she had been “possessed by evil spirits”.
While sentencing her, High Court Judge Grace Nzioka dismissed her defense that she was possessed by demons when she killed her children.
Justice Nzoka, who delivered the ruling virtually on Thursday, March 2, said mental tests conducted on Mwende indicated that she was of sound mind when she committed the offences.
“Her excuse that she was possessed by some evil spirits when she committed the act, cannot be authenticated in court. She is, therefore, sentenced to life imprisonment,” the judge ruled.
Justice Nzioka sentenced her to life imprisonment for each of the four counts but noted that since the first count had already condemned her to life in prison, she would only serve the first sentence.
Unbelievably, Beatrice Mwende was all smiles during the court session. She has 14 days to file an appeal against the ruling.
