NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 3 – A Machakos court has upheld the 30-year jail sentence for Stephen Nthenge, a man convicted of chopping off the hands of his wife, Jackline Mwende, in 2016 over infidelity claims.
Justice George Odunga dismissed Nthenge’s appeal in which the offender sought a lenient sentence since he was a first-time offender.
Nthenge attacked Mwende at their home village in llinge, Mithini sub-county in Machakos county with a machete on July 18, 2016. The incident also left her deaf in one ear, eliciting anger among Kenyans and a section of leaders.
Both of her hands were wholly severed. She sustained serious injuries to her cheek, head and back in an incident that painted a grim picture of the country’s Gender Based Violence (GBV) situation.
The decision by Justice Odunga comes at a time when the world is marking the 16 Days of Activism against GBV, an international campaign that commences on November 25 and ends on December 10 every year.
Nthenge, 39, was sentenced to 30 years in jail for attempted murder after the court found him guilty of chopping off the victim’s hands.
In a judgment delivered in February, Machakos Law Courts, Justice Brenda Bartoo said the court had taken note the accused was not remorseful for the offense he was convicted of.
“The court notes that the offense committed was grave, and the victim in the statement does not wish for any restitution,” she outlined while giving factors that informed the term.
“Therefore, I proceed and sentence you for the offense of attempted murder contrary to section 220(A) of penal code,” she added.
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