Former USIU-Africa student convicted of abducting and murdering colleague

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Justice Kanyi Kimondo found Dancun Livingstone Kimathi guilty of murdering Akello between June 30 and July 1, 2012, at Kiamako area in Githunguri, Kiambu County.

Akello was a final-year International Relations student at USIU-Africa when she was abducted after telling a friend that she was going to meet a man she had previously encountered at the university library.

The prosecution, led by Millicent Kigira, called 17 witnesses during the trial and presented evidence showing that her abductors demanded Ksh.100,000 from her family as ransom. 

Her mother, Hellen Atieno Aruwa, testified that a man called her using her daughter's mobile phone and demanded the money. She negotiated the ransom down to Ksh.70,000 before reporting the matter to Kasarani Police Station. 

The deceased's boyfriend corroborated Aruwa's statement, citing that an unknown man answered her phone and demanded the ransom. 

The court heard that Akello had written in her notebook that she was going to meet a person identified as Daniel Muriithi and had recorded his telephone contact. However, the court concluded that the suspect had used the identity to lure Akello. 

Police investigations later led to the recovery of Akello's bra, panties and a blood-stained top from a house in Savannah where the suspect's girlfriend, Wairimu, lived.

The court also heard that the second accused later absconded after being released on bail, prompting the court to direct that the trial proceed in her absence.

A postmortem examination established that Akello had a laceration at the back of her head, bruises on her neck and a protruding tongue. The cause of death was established as neck compression through manual strangulation.

Justice Kimondo found that Kimathi had acted with malice aforethought, noting that he and his accomplices had lured Akello into a trap for the purpose of abduction and ransom.

The court subsequently convicted Kimathi of murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.

Kimathi is scheduled to appear before the court for sentencing on October 26, 2026.