An Eldoret Court has handed Naftali Kinuthia the man who Killed Moi University medical student Ivy Wangechi a 40-year sentence after he was found guilty of causing her death.

The presiding justice Stephen Githinji ruled that the prosecution had proven without a doubt that the defendant had in deed killed Ivy Wangeci four years ago.

While giving the ruling justice Githinji rubbished the accused defence that Ivy provoked him and ended the relationship to be with someone else.

Kinuthia is said to have travelled from Nairobi to Eldoret in April 2019 where he struck Ivy Wangeshi twice on the head with an axe which he carried throughout his revenge mission trip.

Kinuthia said he acted after seeing her long-time friend and intimate lover hugging another man on her birthday when he had travelled from Nairobi to Eldoret to wish her happy birthday and had even paid Sh14,000 for the birthday party.

He had told the court that he bought the axe, which he used to execute the murder, for self-defence, adding that he always carried it in his car registration number KCB 836B.

The lawyers for the victim and the state had pleaded for the death penalty but Justice Githinji said the court could not buy the idea of a tooth for a tooth in delivering judgment.

Earlier Kinuthia had pleaded for a non-custodial sentence saying it would give him a second chance in life.

Lawyer Wakabi made a passionate plea in mitigation before Justice Githinji issued the verdict.

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