Justice served as Njoro man is sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering his lover

Peter Mwangi Githaiga (also known as John Mwangi Githaiga) has been sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment by the High Court for the murder of Mercy Njeri Mbatia. This marks the conclusion of a case arising from a brutal killing that occurred more than four years earlier.

Githaiga was convicted on July 31, 2025 of murdering Mercy Njeri Mbatia, who died on 13 October 2020. Following the conviction, the court requested a pre-sentence report from the Probation Officer and invited written and oral submissions from the defence and prosecution before determining the appropriate sentence.

In mitigation, the defence argued that the offence was spontaneous rather than premeditated.

"Counsel emphasised that the convict was young and a family man with four dependent children, urging the court to impose a proportionate, non-custodial sentence,' read part of the court documents. The defence also asked the court to consider the period Githaiga had already spent in custody while awaiting trial,” read the court documents.

The prosecution opposed a lenient sentence, stating that there are certain factors that the court considers when sentencing.

"These factors include the offender’s age, criminal antecedents, whether the accused pleaded guilty, expressions of remorse and prospects for reform and rehabilitation."

The prosecution highlighted that the Probation Officer’s Report indicated that Githaiga was not remorseful as he continued to maintain his innocence despite the conviction.

When sentencing, the court acknowledged Githaiga’s lack of a prior criminal record but gave significant weight to his lack of remorse, the views of the victim’s family and the severity of the offence.

The court emphasised the extreme brutality of the killing, noting that the deceased had been burnt alive in her home and must have endured severe pain before dying from her injuries.