A man was sentenced to death by an Iten court on Wednesday after he was found guilty of murder and robbery with violence.
Festus Murkomen is said to have attacked and brutally killed
Micah Chelugo using an
AK 47 rifle and a panga.
Iten senior principal magistrate Hezron Nyaberi heard that he committed the crime
in Kapsowar, Marakwet West, on July 18, 2015.
Murkomen and his accomplices stole
a Sh5,000 mobile phone during the incident.
The man was also charged with
robbing Mercy Kiptoo of Sh300 and a Sh10,000 Sumsung Galaxy phone, and threatening to use violence against her.
The prosecution said Murkomen sustained injuries during the night attacks.
“DNA tests found his blood matched that found near the scene,” said
prosecutor Duncan Chelashaw.
Chelashaw said the man was treated at
Kapenguria county hospital, where two of his fingers were amputated, before fleeing to Uasin Gishu county.
“It is no coincidence that on July 19, when the accused was receiving treatment at the hospital, a robbery had been committed at Kapsowar."
Nyaberi said there was sufficient proof that Murkomen committed the crimes.
The magistrate said it was no
coincidence
that
the blood Murkomen voluntarily gave for DNA tests matched samples collected from the scene.
It was also established that the spent cartridge found at the scene and ballistic reports matched the AK 47 rifle Murkomen was found with.
Nyaberi noted the man was a first-time offender but also that the felonies were punishable by death.
Murkomen was given 14 days to appeal the ruling.