Evans Juma Wanjala at the High Court in Eldoret/MATHEWS NDANYIConfessed serial killer Evans Juma Wanjala has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of 10-year-old Stacy Achieng at Moi’s Bridge in Uasin Gishu County.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi said the court was satisfied with the prosecution’s evidence that Wanjala deliberately planned and executed the crime. He termed the killing an "offence against humanity," noting that the minor was defiled before being murdered.
“The doctor’s reports indicated that she was seriously injured and her body was placed in a bag before being dumped in the forest where it was found," Nyakundi said.
Justice Nyakundi said even though Wanjala had the choice of defiling the child and letting her live carrying the scars of defilement or sexual assault, he went ahead to murder her.
“You defiled the young girl and then decided that she would not live again and that her parents would not see her alive again," the judge said.
Nyakundi said that at the time of the killing between 2020 and 2021, many children were missing with a pattern of defilement and brutal killing in the same Moi’s Bridge area.
The judge noted that scientific evidence showed that DNA samples extracted from the deceased’s private parts matched with those of Wanjala, squarely placing the accused at the centre of the crime.
The judge said Wanjala did not have a reason to carry out the killing.
The judge noted that the child may have thought she was safe in Wanjala's hands because, traditionally, children belong to everyone in the community.
“You turned against her, defiled her and then decided to kill her," the judge said.
He said the accused did not have remorse or regret and sought forgiveness from the family of the deceased.
“You planned the offence and executed it brutally. This was what I call an offence against humanity," the judge said.
He said Wanjala cut short the life of an innocent young girl and did so brutally, and hence deserved life imprisonment
Wanjala is linked to the brutal killing of five minors, but the High Court found him guilty in one of the murder cases he faces.
In his frightening confession to detectives at the onset of the case, Wanjala took investigators to various scenes where he reportedly committed the offence.
Nyakundi said the prosecution had produced compelling evidence against Wanjala.
The judge noted that the evidence was backed by medical reports presented in court and also the testimony from forensic experts.
In his frightening confession to detectives at the onset of the case, Wanjala took investigators to various scenes where he reportedly committed the offence.
He narrated how he executed his shocking missions.
The statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which was also tabled in court, revealed how Wanjala brutally attacked and ended the lives of the minors.
The statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which was also tabled in court, revealed how Wanjala brutally attacked and ended the lives of the minors.
In the case at hand, Wanjala was found guilty of defiling and strangling Stacy Nabiso, 10, six years ago.
Nyakundi said the prosecution had produced compelling evidence against Wanjala.
The judge noted that the evidence was backed by medical reports presented in court and also the testimony from forensic experts.
DNA analysis showed that samples collected from the minor’s t-shirt and underwear matched with those taken from Wanjala.
Nyakundi said the evidence placed Wanjala at the centre of the heinous crime.
"Medical experts confirmed that the minor was defiled and strangled to death. Even DNA tests on blood
Samples collected from the minor's T-shirt and underwear matched with samples taken from the accused," said Justice Nyakundi.
During the trial, Wanjala had made an application to enter into plea bargaining; however, the family of the victim declined, urging the court to deal with the matter as per the law.
Sharon Sakwa, mother to the deceased, termed the application by Wanjala as a mockery of her family, bearing in mind that her only daughter was subjected to a painful death.
“He caused a lot of pain to my daughter and killed her brutally. It's impossible to imagine that we can sit on one table to talk to such a person”, she said.
"Medical experts confirmed that the minor was defiled and strangled to death. Even DNA tests on blood
Samples collected from the minor's T-shirt and underwear matched with samples taken from the accused," said Justice Nyakundi.
During the trial, Wanjala had made an application to enter into plea bargaining; however, the family of the victim declined, urging the court to deal with the matter as per the law.
Sharon Sakwa, mother to the deceased, termed the application by Wanjala as a mockery of her family, bearing in mind that her only daughter was subjected to a painful death.
“He caused a lot of pain to my daughter and killed her brutally. It's impossible to imagine that we can sit on one table to talk to such a person”, she said.
Nabiso was reported missing on December 31, 2019, before her mutilated body was found buried in a thicket in Soweto estate at the outskirts of Moi’s Bridge township on January 1, 2020.
A court ordered the exhumation of her remains before a post-mortem exercise was conducted.
The bodies of the other four children who died similarly, linked to the same suspect, were also exhumed from various places in Moi’s Bridge area in Uasin Gishu County and Trans Nzoia County, respectively.
Wanjala is also linked to the murder of Linda Cherono, 13, Mary Elusa, 14, Grace Njeri, 12 and Lucy Wanjiru, 15. He faces other murder charges.
The bodies of the other four children who died similarly, linked to the same suspect, were also exhumed from various places in Moi’s Bridge area in Uasin Gishu County and Trans Nzoia County, respectively.
Wanjala is also linked to the murder of Linda Cherono, 13, Mary Elusa, 14, Grace Njeri, 12 and Lucy Wanjiru, 15. He faces other murder charges.
