A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter after fatally stabbing another man during a barroom quarrel in June 2023.
The case arose from an altercation between the accused, Joseph Kung’u Ng’ang’a, and the deceased, Perminus Githendu, also known as G-man. The two had been drinking and chewing miraa with a mutual friend at a bar on the night of June 10, 2023. Although their heated exchange was initially calmed, the dispute tragically reignited later that night.
At around 1 am on June 11, 2023, the victim was at a miraa joint when the accused reappeared, this time armed with a knife. Witness accounts revealed that Ng’ang’a brandished the weapon and stabbed Githendu on the left thigh, severing a major blood vessel. Despite being rushed to hospital, the victim succumbed to his injuries. The accused attempted to flee but was arrested a short distance away, with the weapon recovered in his possession.
A postmortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was excessive bleeding due to vascular injury caused by sharp force trauma.
Initially charged with murder, the accused later entered into a plea agreement, admitting guilt to the lesser but related offence of manslaughter. During sentencing, the prosecution urged the court to impose a severe custodial term, stressing the gravity of the offence and the devastating impact on the victim’s family. They argued that deterrence and justice demanded a firm response.
On the other hand, the defence pleaded for leniency, highlighting that the accused was a first offender who had shown remorse, accepted responsibility, and spared the court the burden of a full trial. They suggested that a non-custodial sentence would suffice, citing the accused’s rehabilitation and apology.
A pre-sentencing report confirmed that the accused was remorseful but also documented the bitterness of the victim’s family, who opposed reconciliation and called for the harshest penalty.
In delivering judgment, the court acknowledged the accused’s remorse but found the circumstances too grave to warrant leniency. The deliberate use of a knife, the severity of the injury, and the lack of reconciliation with the victim’s family were considered serious aggravating factors.
The six-year custodial sentence was ordered to run from June 11, 2023, the date of the accused’s arrest.
