A former United Nations employee has been handed a 30-year prison sentence after being found guilty of murdering his wife in a hotel room in Nakuru County.
The High Court sitting in Naivasha ruled that Nicholas Cheruiyot Koskei, the accused, strangled his wife, Rhoda Mutua, in the bathtub of their hotel room during a family retreat in July 2017.
The fatal incident took place on the night of 8 July 2017, at Jacaranda Lake Elementaita Lodge, where the couple had checked in for a getaway. Justice Richard Mwongo, who delivered the sentence, described the killing as calculated and premeditated, rejecting Koskei’s claims of innocence and stating that the evidence presented in court pointed to deliberate intent.
Koskei was found guilty of strangling Mutua in the hotel bathroom and attempting to stage the crime as a drug-related accident. The court established that the killing was not spontaneous, but rather a carefully planned act.
The court heard that Koskei booked the hotel room several days before the trip, specifically requesting one with a bathtub, fully aware that his wife preferred such settings. Upon arrival, the couple took photos together, which Koskei later posted to a family WhatsApp group, painting the picture of a happy outing.
However, behind the smiles lay a sinister plan. According to court documents and testimonies from prosecution witnesses, Koskei strangled his wife in the bathroom later that evening.
He later attempted to manipulate the cause of death by falsely claiming she had overdosed on drugs. Evidence also showed that he tried to influence the post-mortem process by reaching out to a pathologist in an attempt to alter the medical findings.
In the hours following the incident, Koskei reportedly left the hotel room under the pretence of going for a jog and to get food, leaving behind the body of his wife. He then returned, portraying himself as unaware of what had happened. The prosecution, however, argued that the trip had been orchestrated with the intention of carrying out the murder and termed it a case of femicide — one that held significant national concern.
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A total of 17 witnesses were called by the prosecution to present evidence, which included forensic reports, digital communication records, and personal testimonies.
During the sentencing hearing, the family of the late Rhoda Mutua supported the prosecution’s call for the death penalty. In a statement read in court, Mutua’s sister, Jessica Kagwiria, described Koskei as “cruel and remorseless”, highlighting the emotional and psychological damage inflicted on the family — especially the couple’s two young sons, now left without both parents.
“The children have not only lost their mother but have been left under the care of the very man who orchestrated her death,” she said.
In his defence, Koskei pleaded for leniency, saying he was a good father who wished to be present for his children’s upbringing. However, the court found his actions incompatible with such claims.
While acknowledging that the case met the threshold for capital punishment, Justice Mwongo ruled against the death penalty, citing the best interests of the couple’s children.
“The accused person attempted to cover up the offence after committing it. In an ideal scenario, the death sentence would apply. But considering that he is the only surviving parent to two minors, the court finds it fit to impose a custodial sentence of 30 years,” the judge ruled.
He further noted that the sentence would serve as a deterrent in similar cases involving intimate partner violence.
The ruling adds to the growing list of femicide-related convictions in Kenya, drawing attention once again to the urgency of addressing gender-based violence.
Prosecutors emphasised that the matter transcended individual criminality and reflected a deeper societal issue requiring both legal and social responses.
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