NAIROBI,Kenya, Dec, 16 – A former Moi Girls School Nairobi student who was accused of murdering 10 students back in 2017 after setting a dormitory on fire has been found guilty of manslaughter.
The student who was 14 years old at the time is said to have set ablaze Kabarnet dormitory.
Appearing before Justice Stella Mutuku, the accused, now 18 years-old was found not guilty of murder with the court ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was malicious intent.
“Her aim may have been just to cause a fire and burn the building without hurting anyone, but it was ill intentioned given that the building had two floors and there were going to be casualties as a result of the fire,” said Mutuku.
Attempts by the accused to wake up some of her friends the court said was an attempt o save life thus informed part of the decision.
“Having taken into account all the evidence tendered in the case including that of the defence, that the subject made good her word to burn the school dormitory. She may have been joking with her friends and classmates at the beginning before opening the school, but this turned into reality when circumstances of life, as shown by her frustrations as expressed to her friends and her conduct became overwhelming to her,”
She was found not guilty of the offence of murder in all 10 counts.
The judge while handing the suspect her fate, noted that it was the statement of one of the victims who later succumbed in hospital a few weeks after the fire to her mother, that sealed the fate of the now young woman.
42 witnesses testified in the case which took nearly five years.
“I find the offence proved beyond reasonable doubt to be manslaughter in all the 10 counts,” she said.
Justice Mutuku apologised to the families of the victims saying that it was now time to heal after years of waiting for justice.
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