Death sentence for Kenyan beauty queen who murdered boyfriend

Ruth Kamande, who won a prison beauty pageant while awaiting trial, slashed her partner Farid Mohammed, 24, to death in 2015.

Passing sentence, judge Jessie Lesiit said: “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.

“Instead, it is cool to walk away and thereafter to forgive.”

The judge said Kamande had displayed “manipulative” behaviour that included accessing the victim’s mobile phone.

She had also shown no remorse for the vicious attack which left “blood all over” the crime scene.

The judge went on: “I think passing any other sentence than the one prescribed death would turn the accused into a hero.”

Amnesty International called the sentence “cruel, inhumane and outdated”.

The human rights organisation’s director Irungu Houghton said: “This sentence is a blow to Kenya’s progressive record in commuting death sentences to terms of imprisonment.”

The victim’s family insisted the sentence matched the crime.

Mr Mohammed’s aunt Emmah Wanjiku said: “We’re glad that this day came and his grandparents, his sister were actually in court today when this verdict was given.

“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 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.

However, the death sentence remains on the statute books.