Four suspects charged with the murder of a US-based couple in Nyamira County have been acquitted after the High Court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove their involvement in the killings beyond reasonable doubt.
The four, Ezekiel Mogeni Migiro, Peris Ondara, Dennis Ondara Clement and Peter Njoroge Kirika, were set free by Nyamira High Court Judge Wanjiku Cherere in a judgment delivered virtually on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Justice Cherere dismissed the prosecution’s case against the accused persons, finding that the evidence presented by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) was insufficient to sustain the murder charges.
The case centred on the deaths of Edward Morema and his wife, Grace Mong’ina, who were killed at their home in Egetugi Village, Nyamakoroto, in Kitutu Masaba, Nyamira County, on March 20, 2023.
The couple, who were based in the United States, had travelled back to Kenya before they were killed at their residence.
Their deaths prompted investigations by detectives, with four individuals eventually being charged in connection with the double murder. The suspects faced allegations of jointly participating in the killings, which attracted attention because of the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths.
Among those charged was Peris Ondara, a former teacher at Tala Primary School in Machakos County. She was arraigned alongside her brother, Dennis Ondara Clement, Ezekiel Mogeni Migiro and Peter Njoroge Kirika.
The prosecution sought to establish the accused persons’ involvement in the murders through evidence presented during the court proceedings. However, the case failed to meet the legal threshold required to secure a conviction.
Under Kenyan law, the prosecution bears the responsibility of proving criminal charges beyond reasonable doubt. An accused person cannot be convicted where the evidence presented does not sufficiently establish their guilt.
In her determination, Justice Cherere found that the prosecution had not discharged this responsibility against the four accused persons, leading to their acquittal.
The ruling marks a major development in the case, which dates back to March 2023 when the couple were killed at their Nyamira residence. The four suspects have now been set free following the court’s finding that the evidence presented against them was insufficient to prove the murder charges.
