Death sentence for beauty queen who stabbed boyfriend 22 times upheld

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 6- The Court of Appeal in Nairobi Friday upheld the death sentence against prisons beauty queen Ruth Kamande who is in jail for stabbing her boyfriend 22 times in Buruburu estate in September 2015.

High Court judge Justice Jessie Lessit sentenced her to death in 2017, saying Kamande deliberately stabbed Farid Mohammed 22 times.

Justice Lessit sentenced Kamande to death saying the office of Director of Public Prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the offence. Kamande appealed the sentence which has been confirmed by the Court of Appeal.

Justice Lessit said then, “young people should know it is not cool to kill your boyfriend or girlfriend and instead it is cool to walk away from such a relationship when it breaks down.”

Kamande was later crowned Miss Langata Women’s Prison beauty queen in 2016 while in remand.

Then, she said she had reformed since while staying in remand for two years and nine months and that she was remorseful as she sought leaner sentence.

The court committed the woman to death despite the penalty having been lifted by the Supreme Court.

The judge said she was free to exercise judicial discretion. She is likely to be sentenced to life when she makes the application.