Beauty queen (24) sentenced to death for ‘slashing’ boyfriend to death
A KENYAN court has sentenced a 24-yearold beauty queen to death for murdering her boyfriend by stabbing him 25 times, drawing criticism from rights groups who called the punishment “inhumane”.
Ruth Kamande, who won a prison beauty pageant while awaiting trial, slashed her partner Farid Mohammed (24), to death in 2015 and was convicted in May.
“I want young people to know that it is not cool to kill your boyfriend or girlfriend even where you feel disappointed or frustrated — don’t do it,” said High Court judge Jessie Lesiit passing sentence on Thursday.
“Instead, it is cool to walk away and thereafter to forgive.”
The judge accused Kamande of “manipulative” behaviour that included accessing the victim’s mobile phone as well as showing no remorse for the vicious attack which left “blood all over” the crime scene.
“I think passing any other sentence than the one prescribed (death) would turn the accused into a hero,” said Lesiit.
Rights group Amnesty International called the sentence “cruel, inhumane and outdated”.
“This sentence is a blow to Kenya’s progressive record in commuting death sentences to terms of imprisonment,” said Amnesty director Irungu Houghton.
The victim’s family insisted the sentence matched the crime.
“We’re glad that this day came and his grandparents, his sister were actually in court today when this verdict was given,” the victim’s tearful aunt Emmah Wanjiku told reporters after the sentencing. “He had just started his job when his life was cut short.”
Kamande’s lawyer Joyner Okonjo said she would appeal the sentence.
Kenya has an effective ban on carrying out death sentences and no death row prisoner has been executed since 1987.
The country’s Supreme Court ruled in December 2017 that the mandatory death sentence for murder and armed robbery was unconstitutional, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.
The death sentence remains on the statute books however. — The Mirror THE MDC Alliance has given up some of the advertising slots that it was offered by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority on both radio and television, as it is still struggling to raise funding to pay for slots.
The party is continuing to extend its begging bowl despite the election season reaching its homestretch.
The ruling party Zanu-PF’s campaign on the other hand is already in overdrive, with paid adverts being flighted regularly in both print and electronic media.
With barely 10 days remaining before the election, the MDC Alliance is struggling to secure funding for the political adverts as it has continued to scrounge around with a begging bowl to raise money to pay its election agents.
In an interview yesterday, national chairperson for the Nelson Chamisa MDC faction, Mr Morgan Komichi admitted that they were still in the red, but remained optimistic that they would flight the adverts.
“The adverts are coming,” he said. “We have actually started preparing adverts for radio and they are almost done. Those for television would also be coming. We are working on them and would flight them as and when we get resources.
“One other thing you ought to know is that what is pertinent is go to the people, the electorate, we have had a blitz of rallies countrywide, that is the biggest advertisement than what you are making reference to.”
The faction’s deputy national treasurer, Mr Charlton Hwende implored party supporters to continue making donations.
“We are now on the home stretch, please continue donating to the @mdczimbabwe,” he said on his Twitter handle.
“We need more resources to cater for our 45 000 agents that will protect your vote. “Adopt an agent and donate a minimum of $5 today.” Last week, Alliance spokesperson, Professor Welshman Ncube, admitted that they were running on a shoe-string election budget that had not allowed them to take up slots for political advertisement like what Zanu-PF did.
He said they had done posters and billboards and their major focus was mobilising resources for their election agents.
Last week, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) said it had allocated airtime to all participating political parties as stipulated by the law and warned concerned parties that they would forfeit unutilised airtime.
In a statement, ZBC chief executive Mr Patrick Mavhura said the national broadcaster had taken necessary steps as prescribed by the Constitution to ensure political parties were allocated advertising space.
This came as Permanent Secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba said Zanu-PF was paying for political adverts being aired by ZBC. HEADS of State and Governments who attended the 20th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) here last week resolved to bring to an end reliance on raw commodity exports by harnessing digital technologies and value addition to derive leverage from the region’s abundant natural resources.
In their speeches during the opening of the Summit at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, the leaders acknowledged that Comesa, and Africa at large was losing substantial value and job opportunities through raw commodity trading.
The gathering was agreed that for the region’s economy to take-off, member States should work together within the framework of economic integration to structurally transform their economies towards high-value products and harmonising their production systems to derive economies of scale that can match global competition.
Zambia President and host Mr Edgar Lungu said for Comesa to make impact in the global economy it should ride on value addition and digital technologies, which will scale up the bloc’s competencies and average earnings beyond mere food stability. “We cannot continue to trade in raw commodities among ourselves, while relying on markets outside the African continent to supply us with finished products from our very own resources obtained from our region,” said President Lungu.
“Our goal should not be limited to assisting individuals to have food on the table, but to create a conducive environment, which will enable our private sector to generate the necessary financing to invest in value addition and make our region a hub for manufactured products.”
Chairperson of the Comesa Authority who is also Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina, in his key-note address concurred and stressed the need to preserve peace and stability as an anchor to the success of regional economic integration.
He noted the strides made in ending conflict in countries such as South Sudan, as a major win for progress and development within the region. Going forward, the leaders pledged to enhance efforts towards creating vibrant economies whose benefits will be shared equally across the region and within respective communities.
Malawian President, Professor Peter Mutharika, also weighed in his address and reminded the gathering how Comesa was formed out of the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) some years ago, with envisaged continental economic integration vision, in which sub-regional economic groupings will be used as building blocks.
He said Malawi, as one of the founding member states, will play her ball and ensure the Comesa team wins the battle towards economic integration that benefits all. “What we have always wanted is attaining a deeper integration as a means to social and economic progress in the region. We have learnt that there are times we achieve more by cooperating more than competing,” said President Mutharika.
A senior official from Rwanda, who represented President Paul Kagame, believes the drive towards an expanded regional market will give Comesa and Africa at large room for economic growth.
The official told the gathering that his country was already seized with implanting investment reforms to position the country for increased economic growth within the regional integration model. The country is said to be running initiatives towards digitalisation across sectors.
Similarly, Zimbabwe is undertaking reforms under the new political dispensation led by President Mnangagwa to steer investment under the “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra, which has so far seen a review of major investment policies to enhance ease of doing business.
Presidential Affairs Minister, Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, who represented President Mnangagwa at the on-going indaba, also said Zimbabwe will play its part and work together with her peers to achieve economic transformation.
Harare has already domesticated value addition and beneficiation within its economic model across sectors.