A man from Makueni will serve an 18-year prison sentence for killing his mother, whom he accused of having an affair with a family member while his father was away, after his appeal was denied. The incident occurred on the night of February 3–4, 2017, in Kyandune village, Kitiango location, Makueni County.
After the murder, Alex Mwendo reportedly dragged his mother, Hannah Wanza, away from their home and abandoned her body in a nearby thicket. A witness testified in court that he saw Mwendo pull his mother from the house, strike her three times with a panga, and strangle her until she urinated. The witness recalled hearing her faint cries from behind the kitchen.
Mwendo’s father, who also testified, shared that his son had called him the night before Wanza disappeared. When questioned the following day about her whereabouts, Mwendo, who was often intoxicated, told family members to search for her at home. Despite their efforts, Wanza’s body was discovered days later, decomposing about 100 meters from the house.
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Mwendo was convicted of murder by the High Court in 2022, but he later appealed, arguing that the prosecution’s case had inconsistencies and unverified evidence. However, on October 11, a three-judge bench at the Court of Appeal upheld the original ruling, finding that the minor inconsistencies did not undermine the witnesses' credibility or the strength of the prosecution’s case. The judges emphasized that “minor discrepancies in testimonies are not uncommon” and ruled that the brutality of the crime justified a lengthy sentence.
