The High Court in Meru has sentenced Lochuku Lekepei to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of Isiolo GK Prison officer Morris Munene Mate, bringing to a close a decade-long search for justice in a case where the victim's body was never recovered.
The conviction, secured through forensic DNA evidence, phone records and circumstantial evidence, marks the culmination of years of investigations by homicide detectives into the 2015 disappearance of the prison officer.
Mate disappeared on July 23, 2015, after travelling to Oldonyiro in Isiolo North Sub-County on what investigators described as a business trip. Despite extensive searches, his body was never found.
Detectives later recovered blood-stained clothing and a blood-stained stone at the Mlima wa Chui area. DNA analysis confirmed that the blood and other items recovered belonged to the missing prison officer, while forensic analysis placed Lekepei in constant communication with the deceased and in the same geographical area shortly before his disappearance.
In its judgment delivered on July 16, 2026, the High Court ruled that the evidence presented was sufficient to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mate had died as a result of an unlawful act.
"The circumstantial evidence, corroborated by forensic DNA examination, irresistibly pointed to the convict's involvement in the unlawful killing, even in the absence of the victim's body," the court held.
Although Lekepei had initially been charged with murder, the court substituted the charge with manslaughter after evaluating the evidence. He was subsequently convicted under Sections 202 and 205 of the Penal Code and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.
The case is regarded as one of the country's rare "no-body" homicide prosecutions, where investigators successfully relied on scientific and circumstantial evidence rather than the recovery of human remains.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the outcome demonstrates its commitment to thorough investigations and accountability.
"The case underscores the DCI's commitment to conducting thorough, evidence-based investigations, ensuring that victims receive justice and offenders are held accountable," the agency said.