The man was given 14 days to appeal the ruling. [Photo/ citifmonline.com]
A man was on Wednesday sentenced to death after being found guilty of robbery with violence and murder.
Iten Senior Principal Magistrate Hezron Nyaberi found Festus Murkomen guilty of murdering Micah Chelugo.
Murkomen is said to have committed the offence on July 18, 2015 using a panga and AK 47 rifle at Kapsowar, Marakwet West.
The court heard that he also stole a Sh5,000 from the victim.
Murkomen is also said to have sustained injuries during a separate robbery with violence incident, where he stole a Sh10,000 phone and Sh300 cash from one Mercy Kiptoo.
“DNA tests found his blood matched that found near the scene,” prosecutor Duncan Chelashaw told the court.
The prosecutor said Murkomen had his two fingers amputated at Kapenguria county hospital where he received treatment after the incident, before fleeing to Uasin Gishu, The Star reports.
“It is no coincidence that on July 19, when the accused was receiving treatment at the hospital, a robbery had been committed at Kapsowar," said Chelashaw as quoted by the daily.
In his ruling, Magistrate Nyaberi said the court had found enough evidence to put Murkomen behind bars, as his DNA sample matched the one collected at the scene, and the ballistic reports also traced the bullet cartridge used in the murder back to the suspect.
He was given 14 days to appeal the ruling.