Moses Dola has been convicted of manslaughter in the murder case of journalist Sarah Wambui Kabiru.
On Friday, he told the court that he never intended to kill her and that he was sorry.
Former journalist Moses Dola testified on the events that led to the sudden death of his wife Wambui Kabiru in 2011.
MOSES DOLA found guilty of manslaughter in the death of his wife, former NTV journalist Sarah Wambui Kabiru, in 2011. pic.twitter.com/ZciZaLXAXu
— NationBreakingNews (@NationBreaking) October 5, 2018
In an emotional testimony before a Milimani Court, Dola disclosed that on the day Wambui died, Saturday, April 30, 2011, he had woken up at 7.30 am and turned on the radio on full blast.
The former Nation Media Group scribe said that’s when things got out of hand as Wambui was not happy about the noise from the radio.
“She asked me, ‘Does it mean when you wake up everyone else should?’ She then woke up and unplugged the radio,” narrated the father of two.
He further told Justice Roseline Korir that his wife’s reaction surprised and angered him.
Dola said he woke up and plugged back the music system, which angered Wambui even more.
The commotion, he said, woke their son who was asleep in their bedroom.
“I decided to leave the bedroom because it was approaching 7.30. I went to pick our son from his cot, but Wambui, who by that time was seated on the bed trimming her dreadlocks, shouted and told me to leave the baby alone.”
Dola, who did not heed to her demands, said the next thing he saw was Wambui charging at him with the scissors in her hand.
“I blocked her, but she kept coming at me, and the scissors pricked my thumb. She came again and that’s when I tackled her and we fell on the bed.”
“I did not expect Wambui’s injury to have a big effect. Since I was temperamental at the time, I left Wambui in the bedroom and went to my brother-in-law’s place, where we drank alcohol. In my mind, I was giving Wambui time to cool down,” he added.
When he returned home at noon, Wambui was still lying on the bed. Thinking she was still mad, Dola called her out: “Babe, babe yaani hasira ya asubuhi bado umenishikia ( ‘Babe, babe, are you still angry?’)”
“I shook her but she did not respond. She was still warm. I checked her pulse and that’s when it hit me that she’s dead,” a tearful Dola said.
He said he collapsed and when he woke up he called his mother and Wambui’s and informed them what had happened before he left the house, confused, and found himself in Nakuru.
“I don’t know what happened or how I got there. I panicked. I alighted in Nakuru, it was raining, and I slept at the bus terminus. In the morning I decided to come back to Nairobi to surrender myself, but still on my way fear gripped me and I slept the second day at a bus station,” said Dola.
On the third day, he got the courage and walked into Naivasha police station and gave himself up.
“The fatal assault was done by the accused…It is the accused who caused the death of the deceased..the conduct of Moses Dola was that of a guilty person,” Judge Roselyne Korir said.
The court further ruled that the accused was the stronger party in the fight he was embroiled in with the late Kabiru.
On its part, the Prosecution said there are no previous criminal records on Dola.
They further added that there are three factors that the court should consider for the accused not to be given a non custodial sentence.