High Court Convicts Kimathi in 2012 Murder of USIU Student Sarah Aruwa
Justice Kanyi Kimondo found Kimathi guilty of murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
On September 18, the High Court in Kenya convicted Duncan Kimathi of murdering United States International University student Sarah Aruwa. Justice Kanyi Kimondo ruled that Kimathi was guilty of murder, based on evidence proving the prosecution's case beyond a reasonable doubt. Aruwa, a final-year International Relations student, disappeared on June 30, 2012.
Her body was found in a thicket in Ngewa, Kiambu County. The prosecution used circumstantial, electronic, documentary, and identification evidence to tie Kimathi to the disappearance and murder. It was revealed that Aruwa's family received ransom demands, which were reduced after negotiations with her brother-in-law. Police found a notebook containing a handwritten note with Aruwa's name, a description of her supposed meeting, and two phone numbers.
Kimathi admitted to using a phone number on the list. Police records showed that the number was linked to a car hire, which Kimathi denied renting on the day of Aruwa's disappearance. A police officer saw a man at the location where Aruwa's body was found, who claimed to be a police officer and later identified Kimathi during a parade.
Evidence from Aruwa's alleged girlfriend was also presented, but the judge rejected the voice identification evidence. Kimathi was convicted of murder, and the court determined that he and his accomplices lured Aruwa for ransom before killing her when the ransom was not paid or as the investigation intensified.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
