Four people sentenced to 25 years in jail for beating KCSE student to death

Four people have been imprisoned for 25 years after being found guilty of beating a 19-year-old Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidate to death for allegedly stealing a mobile phone.

Julieta Ayieta, Benjamin Njenga, Paul Osinde and Gregory Mukhori allegedly committed the offence in Eldoret on June 2, 2023, as part of a mob that lynched Ahmad Mohammed Ismael using crude weapons and stones.

Ismael, who had been accused of stealing a mobile phone from a college student, died of severe head injuries following the incident, which occurred at the West Indies estate in Eldoret.

The quartet was sentenced at the Eldoret High Court on Wednesday, after the prosecution presented CCTV footage, witness testimonies and forensic analysis, which proved, beyond reasonable doubt, that they were culpable of the offence.

“The CCTV footage that was played in court exposed the accused persons who were caught on camera beating up the slain student using stones and other blunt objects, resulting in his gruesome death," ruled Eldoret High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi.