Eight people were sentenced to hang for the vicious...

Eight people were sentenced to hang for the vicious murder of a land dealer in Kenya. Elizabeth Gatiri Gachanja, the wife of former Commissioner of Lands Wilson Gachanja, her brother Francis Karioko Muruatetu and their sister Rose Njoki Muruatetu were among the eight condemned for the murder of Lawrence Githinji Magondu. Gachanja plotted and paid for the murder of Magondu, a former business partner of Wilson Gachanja, after he fell out with her husband and then threatened to have him killed, the court had been told. She hired hit men who lured Magondu to Kitengela, in Kajiado on February 4, 2000, on the pretext of discussing a land deal. There they pounced on their victim, bound him with ropes and smashed him repeatedly on the head until he was dead. Gachanja "provided the funds and sat behind the curtain for the others to execute the mission", said trial judge Justice Mbogholi Msagha in his detailed 39-page judgement. Sentencing Gachanja, her brother, a convicted drug trafficker, and sister to be hanged, Justice Msagha said although they were not at the murder scene they all had a common intention to kill. Also sentenced to death for their part in the killing were the hit men David Karugu Njuguna, Stephen Wambua Kamau and Stephen Kagia Njoki - of whom the judge said: "Their simple village disposition is a facade of vicious creatures who have no regard for human life". Wilson Thiribu Mwangi, who recruited the hit men, and Anna Ngonyo, whom he persuaded to pose as a land buyer to lure Magondu to his death are also to die. Ngonyo's death sentence was temporarily suspended because she is reportedly pregnant.After sentence was passed, the victim's daughter, Grace Wairimu Githinji, aged 31, said justice had been served."It is the best judgment and it's quite true as the judge said, these are vicious killers. I am so happy the murderers have got what they deserve," she said.The judge said after evaluating the evidence he had come "to the irresistible conclusion" that the eight were all guilty of murder.Justice Msagha added: "Whoever plans and execute a scheme to end the life of another human being writes his or her own judgment".The judge rejected the defences of all eight, and described them as "contradicting, self-serving, dishonest and outright liars."The judge then explained why in July he had ordered the acquittal of Mr Wilson Gachanja and three other people - Ernest Macharia Munyi, Agnes Wamboi Gicharu, and Stephen Kiringu Kanyoro.The four had nothing to explain, he said. There was no evidence to link them with the murder. "At most", he said, "one can only suspect them and suspicion, however strong, was not evidence in a criminal charge".