A former Kenya Power worker accused of killing three nieces in an arson attack after his wife divorced him has called the prosecution evidence circumstantial.
Andrew Sukunwa, who worked as a security guard, told Nyeri High Court judge Teresiah Matheka none of the 10 prosecution witnesses proved he committed the crime.
The suspect, who is facing murder charges, is accused of setting their house on fire on March 16, 2016, in Mathari village, Nyeri.
The fire led to the death of three children of his wife’s sister. They were aged between one and four years.
His lawyer Lucy Mwai, in her final submissions, said the accused was framed as a result of a longstanding feud between him and his in-laws. The lawyer said no one saw him setting the house on fire.
A neighbour, identified as Nancy, had testified that before the fire, she saw the suspect with a plastic jerrycan containing petrol.
She said she met the accused carrying the jerrycan and he tried to hide it. However, the defence said she was not credible because she could not tell the size or colour of the container.
Witness Alexander Mwangi said he saw someone leave the house as the fire started, but could not tell if it was the suspect since he was far off.
Lawyer Mwai pointed out that Mwangi was unable to tell if the person he saw was a man or a woman.
She said the fire could have accidentally been started by the children left alone in the house by their grandmother.
The suspect had turned himself in, fearing for his life after his estranged wife informed him of plot to lynch him.
His lawyer said he was arrested and charged on mere suspicion.
Prosecutor Kennedy Magoma, however, said the evidence before court had proved beyond reasonable doubt that he killed the children. He said the suspect’s differences with his in-laws would have driven him to commit the offence.
The judgment will be delivered on March 7.