A former United Nations employee has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his wife in a hotel bathtub at Jacaranda Lake Elementaita Lodge in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in 2017.

Nicholas Cheruiyot Koskei was found guilty of the premeditated murder of Rhoda Mumbi Mutua, whom he strangled on the night of July 8 that year.

Delivering the judgment at the High Court in Naivasha, Justice Richard Mwongo said Koskei carefully planned the killing and later tried to cover it up.

He noted that although the death penalty would have been ideal in such a case, the court considered the welfare of the couple’s two sons.

“The accused person attempted to conceal the offence after committing it. In an ideal setting, the death penalty is applicable in a case like this. However, given the fact that the accused person is the only surviving parent to two young boys, it is appropriate to impose a definite custodial sentence, which will also serve as deterrent,” said Justice Mwongo.

“Koskei and Ms Mutua’s children do need their father but he must face consequences for his actions,” he added.

The court heard that Koskei had booked a room with a bathtub three days before the trip, citing his wife’s love for bathtubs.

Upon arrival, the couple took selfies, which Koskei shared in a family WhatsApp group. Later that night, he strangled her in the bathroom.

He then tried to mislead investigators by claiming that Mutua was a drug addict and had died following a domestic quarrel. He even attempted to influence a pathologist to alter the post-mortem report.

The prosecution, which called 17 witnesses, told the court that Koskei had orchestrated the entire trip with the goal of killing his wife.

“Having completed the job, he then left the room and shut the door, on the pretext that he was going for a jog and to order some food,” said the prosecutor.

In a pre-sentence report, Mutua’s family supported the push for the death penalty, describing Koskei as a cruel and remorseless man.

Her sister Jessica Kagwiria filed a victim impact statement highlighting the pain the family had endured over the eight-year trial period.

The family also informed the court that they were ready to take full legal responsibility for the couple’s children.

Koskei pleaded for leniency, insisting he was innocent. He said he missed his wife and wished to continue raising their sons. Despite his conviction, he told the court that he remained a good father.

The prosecution described the case as an example of femicide and urged the court to consider it a matter of national concern.