Ruth Kamande: Supreme Court Throws Out Appeal by Nairobi Convict Who Stabbed Boyfriend to Death
- Ruth Kamande's efforts to fight off her conviction of murder were dealt a blow after the Supreme Court dismissed her appeal after she was convicted of killing her boyfriend in 2015
- Kamande sought to have her life sentence annulled, arguing that the courts failed to prosecute her argument that the murder was not premeditated but an act of defence
- The seven-judge bench in the apex court argued that Kamande's appeal did not merit consideration, as the arguments in it were not brought up during the trial in the lower courts
The Supreme Court has thrown out the appeal by 'Miss Lang'ata Women Prison' Ruth Kamande, who sought an annulment of her conviction in a murder case.
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Kamande, who was convicted of killing her boyfriend in 2015, had presented an appeal at the appellate court citing domestic abuse as her defence against the murder charge against her.
The Court of Appeal dismissed her case, prompting her to seek redress in the Supreme Court.
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Why Supreme Court threw out Ruth Kamande's appeal
She brought up the question of battered woman syndrome, arguing that her boyfriend's murder was not premeditated but instead was an act of defence.
Kamande, who was crowned Miss Lang'ata Women Prison in 2016, sought to have the court lessen her charge and have it interpreted as a circumstantial occurrence.
However, in its verdict on Friday, April 11, the seven-judge bench of the apex court argued that the issue Kamande presented before it had not been countenanced in the appellate court where it was brought up for the first time.
The Supreme Court argued that issues not adjudicated in the trial could not be admitted before the bench.
According to the court, contrary to Kamande's claim that her slain lover had posed a threat to warrant her lethal action, the evidence adduced in court depicted a typical romantic relationship.
The judges further established that there was no pattern to suggest the deceased had been violent toward her and that the altercation leading to the murder was unprecedented.
Source: Getty Images
With the verdict, Kamande's conviction was underscored by the court.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which objected to the appeal, celebrated the Supreme Court's verdict, regarding it as a win.
When did Ruth Kamande kill her lover?
Kamande killed her lover, Farid Mohammed Halim, on September 20, 2015, at Buruburu Estate in Nairobi.
The Supreme Court blow comes months after she graduated with a law degree from the Kamiti Maximum Prison.
While speaking at the graduation ceremony, Kamande emphasised the significance of the occasion, noting that it honoured individuals who had managed to complete their law studies despite being incarcerated.
She further acknowledged the event as a celebration of the graduates' journeys of personal transformation, rehabilitation, and reform during their time in prison.
As Kamande prepared for her graduation, she shared that her inspiration to study law stemmed from an offer of assistance with her case by former Attorney General Githu Muigai.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
