A former Water Services Board employee charged with the murder of her husband was on Tuesday acquitted of the charges by the High Court in Nakuru.
Justice Joel Ngugi found Ms Lilian Chepchumba Keter not guilty of killing her husband Mr Ronex Keter in 2016.
The judge noted that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Keter conspired with her brother, Fredrick Koech and her nephew, Daniel Mwaciru to kill Keter on the night of April 16, 2016 at their home in Kiamunyi area in the outskirts of Nakuru town.
“I find that the circumstantial evidence relied upon by the prosecution was insufficient to establish that the death of Mr Keter was a case of homicide arbitrated by the accused persons. I will as law requires give a benefit of considerable doubt established by the facts in the counsels’ submissions,” ruled justice Ngugi.
The court however noted that the evidence presented by the prosecution cast a shadow of suspicion that the death of Keter could have been a product of murder.
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
However, he regretted that the prosecution failed to provide evidence to confirm the suspicion and which left the court with no option but to release the accused persons.
The prosecution had claimed that that the three suspects had jointly killed Mr Keter by strangling him using a power cable.
According to the evidence by prosecution witnesses, the woman had a troubled relationship with her husband.
Ms Chepchumba had maintained her innocence and claimed that her late husband had committed suicide.
She said her husband had hung himself inside a wardrobe using a power extension cable.
Justice Ngugi said the testimony by the defence witnesses was consistent and corroborated with the evidence. He freed all the three suspects.