The High Court has sentenced Eldoret Policewoman Lilian Biwott to serve 35 years in jail for the murder of her husband Victor Kipchumba whom she shot dead using 12 bullets in their house.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi said the murder was part of the increased incidences of domestic violence or GBV and femicide.
Nyakundi said the murder was brutal and barbaric and she deserved a high punishment as a deterrent.
The judge said although her marriage was characterized by violence it was not an excuse for Lilian who was a trained officer to use a gun with full force against her husband.
“That firearm issued to you by the government was never meant to be used against your husband,” said the judge.
He said the officers had other ways to avoid killing like going for separation or divorce.
The judge noted that although Biwott had been called to the house with information that her husband wanted to kill their children, she had adequate time to use other means to handle the situation.
The judge noted that Biwott fired 12 bullets targeting her husband with 6 of the bullets getting into vital organs.
“This was a purely premeditated murder excited with brutality and ill will and malice aforethought," said Nyakundi.
“I don’t know what story you will tell your children when the time comes and I don’t know what means you will use to make peace with your children having killed their father.”
The judge said there were increasing instances of killings in homes and noted that domestic violence should not end in death when there are other ways to sort out disputes.
The judge noted that the aggravating evidence in the case outweighed any mitigating factors which Lilian claimed had caused her to commit the murder.
The judge said there was no evidence of self-defence or provocation and hence murder was her clear intention.
A week ago the judge had returned a guilty verdict against Biwott noting that she planned and executed the murder of her husband with whom they had long-running marital quarrels.
Nyakundi said Biwott did not tell the court any compelling reasons or circumstances which caused her to use her gun and fire many bullets at the deceased.
The judge said the situation of domestic violence, and claims of self-defense can not override compelling witness and forensic evidence against the accused.
Nyakundi noted that the accused left her place of work and went to their house having adequate time to reflect on her actions.
“The subsequent concealment of evidence paints a clear picture of a premeditated act by the accused,” said the judge.
He said the accused being a person who understands the law had other ways to sort out their disputes other than to use the gun.
“Now your children are orphans because of your unlawful act which could have been avoided,” said the judge.
She had explained in her defence that she lived in an abusive marriage characterised by frequent violence leading to the incident where she shot her husband dead.
The police officer was accused of shooting her husband to death at their Kimumu rental house along the Eldoret-Iten highway in Uasin Gishu County.
Biwott committed the said offence on the night of October 9, 2024, at their rental house.
She had denied the murder charge.
