A Machakos University student has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2019 murder of a 15-year-old girl in Naivasha, with the court emphasizing the brutality of the crime despite the fact that the accused was a minor at the time.
Fredrick Mwonjoria, now 22, was found guilty of murdering Valerian Njeri on November 28, 2019, in Mirera Estate, Naivasha. High Court Judge Grace Nzioka, while delivering the verdict, described the evidence against Mwonjoria as overwhelming and ruled that his actions were filled with malice. “His actions, though he was a minor at the time, were beastly and thus warranted a custodial sentence,” she stated.
Mwonjoria, who was 17 years old and a student at Nanyuki High School when the incident occurred, was accused of luring Njeri into his home before attacking her with a knife. Her body was later found dumped outside his gate, and police investigations led to the discovery of blood traces in his room, along with the murder weapon and bloodied clothes.
During sentencing, the judge noted that while the accused was a minor at the time, the severity of the crime warranted a prison term. “The fact that the accused hid the body under his bed and shared dinner with his family as if nothing had happened painted a troubling picture,” she remarked, dismissing the defense’s plea for leniency based on his age.
The case has drawn attention due to the shocking details of the crime and the accused’s apparent lack of remorse.
