A Nairobi court has charged a woman with the murder of a five-year-old orphaned boy who was under her care.
Appearing before the Milimani High Court Judge Momanyi Bwonwong’a on Friday, Ms Susan Nasimiyu, alias Mama Nowee was charged with the murder of Godwin Wekesa.
She was, however, not required to plead to the murder charge until she undergoes a mental examination.
“You are not required to plead to the charge, the purpose of your appearance in court, today is to inform you of the charge preferred against you by the Director of Public Prosecution,” Justice Bwonwong’a told the suspect, adding that she will undergo a mental examination to determine whether she is fit to stand trial.
The court directed that she be given a lawyer to defend her in the capital case which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
“The charge against you carries a death penalty upon conviction and therefore the deputy registrar of this court will allocate you a lawyer to defend you,” the judge told the suspect.
Ms Nasimiyu was charged with murdering Godwin Wekesa between August and December 9, 2022, in Githongoro-Kwa Chief area in Nairobi County.
State Prosecutor at the High Court asked the judge to allow the suspect to be presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu to close a miscellaneous application pending before her.
Ms Kimilu was informed by prosecutor Anne Munyua to close the miscellaneous case before her since the accused has been charged with murder at the High Court.
The magistrate closed the case before her and then ordered that the suspect be held at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison remand until January 12, 2023, when she will be produced before the High Court.
Ms Nasimiyu was arrested from Trans Nzoia and produced in court on December 15, 2022. The court allowed a police request to have her put in custody until December 30, 2022.
The court directed the police to send an officer to the boy’s home in Trans Nzoia to record the medical history of the boy before his alleged murder.
The suspect asked the court to free her to attend to her children.
“My children are exposed now as nobody is taking care of them. Free me to go back and take care of my children,” she urged the court.
The court established that the suspect brought the five-year-old boy from their rural home in Trans Nzoia County to live with her in Kiambu County after the death of his parents. She stayed with the minor for five months.
She told the court that on December 8, 2022, at around 7 pm, while bathing the boy she detected injuries on his body. She then took him to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital for treatment where he was pronounced dead the following day.
According to the investigating officer, Ms Nasimiyu reported the death of the boy to the police. DCI officers from Kiambu visited the hospital and established that the deceased had multiple wounds, pointing to the possibility that he had been abused.
The suspect who declined to name the parents of the boy claimed that she was also housing two more minors.
The accused will remain in custody until January 12, 2023
