Naftali Kinuthia, the man who hacked medical student Ivy Wangeci to death in April 2019, has confessed to killing her over a love relationship gone sour.
Testifying at the High Court in Eldoret on March 3, 2023, Kinuthia said he regretted the incident and that he was overwhelmed by anger when he attacked Wangeci with an axe outside the Moi Referral Hospital.
Kinuthia said he had travelled to Eldoret to wish Wangeci a happy birthday, even though their relationship was estranged. He had sent her KSh14,000 to host a party, but after she blocked his phone, he travelled to Eldoret to try and reconcile their differences. When he saw her hugging another man, he lost control and attacked her with an axe, killing her.
Wangeci’s murder sparked outrage and led to renewed calls for action against gender-based violence in Kenya. In response, the government introduced new measures, including the establishment of a gender-based violence recovery centre at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The case also highlighted the issue of mental health in Kenya, with some experts arguing that Kinuthia may have been suffering from a mental illness at the time of the attack. According to the World Health Organization, mental illness affects about one in four people globally, and many people do not receive the care they need.
The judge has directed the case to be mentioned on April 25th for final submissions before the judgment.
