A man from Baringo County has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing his father in a land dispute, following a plea-bargaining agreement that reduced his charge from murder to manslaughter.
The High Court in Kabarnet, presided over by Justice Mumbua T. Matheka, sentenced Samuel Kibet Cherutich after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, contrary to Section 202 as read with Section 205 of the Penal Code.
Cherutich had initially been charged with murder under Sections 203 and 204 of the Penal Code, Cap 63 of the Laws of Kenya.
He pleaded not guilty before entering into a plea-bargaining agreement on June 9, 2026, which resulted in the charge being reduced to manslaughter.
The court heard that the incident occurred on September 5, 2020, at around 2 p.m. in Turtur village, Kabutie Location, Baringo North Sub-County.
According to prosecution evidence, Cherutich killed his father, Reuben Chemwetich Cherutich, after the older man warned him against entering his land.
Angered by the warning, Cherutich reportedly retrieved a bow and arrow and shot his father in the chest, killing him.
During sentencing, Justice Matheka acknowledged that the offender had been forgiven by his family but maintained that their forgiveness did not diminish the gravity of the offence.
“The manner in which he committed the offence, the reason for the commission of the offence is unacceptable. The mere fact that his father was telling him not to enter his land was no reason for him to go look for a weapon, a lethal weapon at that and shoot his father point blank,” the judge said.
The judge noted that a disagreement over land could have been resolved through less harmful means, including seeking the intervention of village elders, instead of resorting to violence.
Her remarks underscored the seriousness of the offence, despite the family's decision to forgive Cherutich.
The prosecution was led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Claire Kosgei, while the prosecution counsel was Sydney Koech.
