Kisii Man Who Beheaded Two Daughters Deemed Fit For Trial

35-year-old Nelson Momanyi Ontita who was accused of beheading his two daughters in the Kiobegi Sub location, Kisii County on Friday, January 6 is mentally fit to face trial.

An investigating officer revealed on Thursday, January 12 that a psychiatrist report revealed that Ontita is fit to stand trial after he underwent mental assessment tests on Wednesday, January 11.

Prosecution Council Ian Mukusi on his application told the court to grant them 14 days to complete investigations following the affidavit sworn in by the investigation officer handling this case.

"We are praying with this court to give the investigation officers 14 days to detain the suspect as they complete the investigations," said the court prosecutor.

A police station in Kisii County. /WHATSAPP

So far the investigating officers have recorded statements from the witnesses who are also family members, including Ontita's parents.

The officers stated that they have taken exhibits to a government chemist in Kisumu for analysis including a machete (panga), a pair of trousers and a pair of sandals which had blood stains.

They also extracted nails from the deceased children to match their DNA with that of Ontita before linking him directly to the murder.

"We are also conducting an autopsy either today or tomorrow," said an investigation officer, who added that they will close the miscellaneous file upon Approval from the Office Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) and charge Ontita with murder.

The accused person will be arraigned in court on Monday, January 23 for a hearing. On his mitigation, Ontita agreed to be detained in police custody, which the Magistrate eventually ordered.

Teresa Mandera, the mother of the deceased children, said that during the time of the incident, she was on the farm when she came across her two daughters who had their heads cut off.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) South West Nyanza Branch Chairman Gideon Nyambati on Tuesday, January 10 called for speedy investigations into the murder incidents that have been on the rise in Kisii as well as Nyamira counties.

Nyambati noted that there were 92 murder cases pending at the High Court in Kisii but only one judge has been assigned to handle them.

"As a society, we condemn and call upon the police that whenever they are called they should respond.

"92 murder cases cannot be handled by one judge, that is a very big number, the church, the community, and other stakeholders should reach out to members of the public on matters of mental health," he remarked.