Murang’a man jailed for 30 years for killing his father

A Murang’a court has sentenced a man to 30 years in prison after he admitted to killing his father during a violent altercation in Muchungucha village, Kiharu Constituency in 2020.

The convict, Michael Muchiri Mwangi, was found guilty of causing the death of his father on the night of September 10, 2020.

According to court proceedings, the father and son engaged in a heated quarrel outside their home at around 7.30pm. Moments later, Mwangi’s mother was alarmed by a loud bang and rushed to the scene only to find her son standing silently beside a fire raging in their banana plantation.

Investigations revealed that Mwangi had struck his father on the head, doused him with petrol, then set him ablaze. The deceased sustained burns covering more than 60 percent of his body, injuries that proved fatal.

Mwangi was initially charged with murder, but he later entered a plea bargain with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), reducing the charge to manslaughter.

In delivering the sentence, the court emphasised the severity of the crime, noting the brutality involved and the breach of the most fundamental family bond.