By Erick Nyayiera
A Siaya court has sentenced a student to ten years imprisonment for killing his grandmother over food.
The suspect 22 years old Maxton Omondi Otieno was convicted of manslaughter by Siaya High Court’s Lady Justice Roseline Aburili after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
He had been charged that on 8th, February, 2021 at Got Bondo village in central Asembo location in Siaya County, he murdered Jael Akuno Orundu.
In his defense Omondi told the court that he did not intend to kill his 82-year-old grandmother on the material day but admitted having quarreled with her over food.
“I asked her what we were having for supper and she said there were no food and no flour to prepare porridge. She then hit me with her walking stick. I pulled her out of the bed and she hit her head on the cemented floor,” the convict claimed.
The court heard that Omondi was orphaned at the age of three and had been under the care of his maternal grandparents before he joined his paternal family where he stayed with the deceased.
Lady Justice Aburili, in her judgment, noted that the accused, who was mechanical student at Nyang’oma Technical Institute, was a first time offender and remorseful.
She said the ten years imprisonment was appropriate as he would get rehabilitated and also acquire skills that would come in handy when he will be reincorporated back to society.
She also said that Omondi could not be given a non-custodial sentence since the immediate family of the deceased was bitter and might harm him in revenge according to Bondo Probation Officer Euphemia Kidwoli’s report that was tabled before court.
