Journalist found guilty of manslaughter in former NTV reporter’s death

Moses Dola, who was on trial for the killing of former NTV reporter Sarah Wambui Kabiru, was found guilty of manslaughter on October 5.

Mr. Dola was the husband to Ms. Kabiru and had been charged with murder for killing her in an incident at their Umoja House that took place in May, 2011. The scribe is reported to have once worked for the Daily Nation, the newspaper outlet of Nation Media Group that also owns NTV.

The court reduced the charge to manslaughter while delivering the ruling after Judge Roselyne Korir ruled that Mr. Dola, though culpable of the death of the former NTV journalist, had not intended to kill her. The incident thus did not pass the test of premeditation that is required for one to be convicted of murder.

Justice Korir also cancelled Mr. Dola’s bond terms and ordered he be held in remand until at least October 26 when a pre-sentencing report is due in court before the accused finally learns of his punishment.

The prosecution has argued against Mr. Dola being issued a non-custodial sentence, meaning the State wants the court to rule that any punishment given to the former journalist must see him confined in a prison or any other facility.

Bar any appeal from the accused, this means that the end is near for a case that started following the death of Ms. Kabiru after her lifeless body was found tucked in her bedroom and her husband, Mr. Dola, vanished.

After three days, Mr. Dola reappeared and presented himself to a police station where facts surrounding the death of the former NTV reporter were revealed.

An argument between the two occurred on the morning of May 1, where Ms. Kabiru argued about the high level of volume that Mr. Dola had tuned the radio to. The disagreement sparked other arguments which eventually led to a scuffle between the two journalists. It was during the fight that Ms. Kabiru died.

Mr. Dola had attributed his three day disappearance to ‘confusion’ and that he had gone to seek refuge with a family member.

SEE ALSO : TV ANCHOR WHO OWNS A MORTUARY