NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 5 – The Naivasha High Court has found former United Nations (UN) employee Nicholas Koskei guilty of murdering his wife, Rhoda Mumbi Mutua, at Jacaranda Lake Elementaita Lodge in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
Justice Richard Mwongo ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, affirming that the murder was premeditated.
He held that Koskei meticulously planned and executed the crime.
The court directed that a pre-sentencing probation report be submitted within 21 days, ahead of the sentencing hearing scheduled for March 27, 2025.
The report will guide the court in considering any mitigating or aggravating factors before delivering the final sentence.
“The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 27, 2025, where the court will consider the report and any mitigating or aggravating factors before issuing the final sentence,” read a statement from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The ODPP detailed how Koskei lured his wife to the lodge on July 8, 2017, under the guise of a romantic getaway to celebrate his 36th birthday and resolve their marital differences.
However, the trip ended in tragedy when Mumbi was found dead in the hotel room bathtub later that night.
The prosecution, led by Counsel Nelly Maingi, presented seventeen witnesses who gave accounts of the events leading to Mumbi’s death.
Forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and circumstantial evidence collectively established Koskei’s role in the crime.
Koskei was charged under Section 203 and Section 204 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes the unlawful killing of another person with malice aforethought.