A 25-year-old plumber from Kwale County has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the brutal murder of a businessman six years ago.
High Court Judge Francis Andayi found Fikirini Juma Hassan, alias County Mbili, guilty of killing Ali Noor on the night of July 28, 2019, at Denyenye village in Ngombeni, Matuga Sub-County.
The court ruled that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt even as two other suspects linked to the killing remain on the run.
According to court documents, Noor and a friend had attended a music event at the Bidi Badu Club in Diani on the night of July 27, 2019.
At about 3AM, they left for home on Noor’s motorcycle. After dropping off another friend, they were ambushed by a gang that hurled stones at them, causing the motorcycle to crash.
While Noor’s companion managed to hide in nearby bushes, Noor was cornered and viciously attacked with stones and pangas.
He was later taken to Manyatta Hospital in Likoni before being transferred to Coast General Hospital, where he died on July 31, 2019.
The survivor identified four attackers, among them Fikirini and another suspect, Raul Abdul Noor, both of whom were later arrested and positively identified by the witness.
The court ruled out robbery as a motive, noting that nothing was stolen during the attack, and concluded that the assailants intended to kill.
In his judgment, Justice Andayi said the prosecution presented consistent and credible evidence linking Fikirini to the murder, adding that the sheer brutality of the attack warranted a severe sentence.
