A 70-year-old woman from Dololo Boji village in Dukana sub-county, North Horr Constituency, has been sentenced to five years in prison after the Marsabit High Court found her guilty of murdering newborn twins.
Konso Isacko Godana was convicted on the basis of evidence indicating that the deaths were driven by a long-held cultural belief within the Gabra community, where firstborn twins are regarded as a “bad omen.”
Delivering the ruling, Justice Francis Rayola noted that the prosecution had sufficiently demonstrated the woman’s involvement in the killings. Godana admitted to the offence in court and sought leniency, claiming she was unaware that the act was unlawful.
Justice Rayola stressed that the sentence should serve as a deterrent, underscoring that harmful cultural practices have no place in modern society and must not be used to justify criminal acts.
Court records show that the twins a boy and a girl were born on January 19, 2025, and are believed to have died from suffocation just a day after their mother was discharged from the hospital.
Godana has 14 days to file an appeal against the sentence.
