Kilifi man sentenced to 30 years for killing wife over Instagram dispute

In a judgment delivered by Justice Wendy Kagendo Micheni at the High Court in Mombasa, 40-year-old Murad Awadh Mbaraka was found guilty of killing his wife, Nuru Ibrahim, following persistent domestic disputes, including disagreements over her use of Instagram.

According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Principal Prosecution Counsel Frank Sirima lined up ten witnesses to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused acted with malice.

One of the witnesses included the accused's 11-year-old daughter, who revealed that on the night of June 19, 2022, she heard her mother scream for help as the accused repeatedly assaulted her.

Neighbours who responded to the distress calls were reportedly threatened and blocked from offering assistance.

Further, the prosecution presented forensic analysis which placed the accused at the scene, confirming the presence of the deceased’s blood on a knife, broken pieces of a baby’s cot allegedly used in the attack, and on the accused’s clothing. 

The witnesses also refuted Mbaraka's alibi, where he claimed that an intruder was responsible for the attack. 

After reviewing the evidence, Justice Micheni ruled that the sentence serves both as a punishment and a deterrent against domestic violence.