After nearly seven years of waiting for justice, the High Court in Nairobi on Friday convicted former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Major Peter Mugure Mwaura of murdering his wife, Joyce Syombua, and their two children.
Justice Martin Muya ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mugure meticulously planned the murders, carried them out inside the Kenya Air Force barracks in Nanyuki, and later conspired with another individual to dispose of the bodies by burying them in Thigithu, Laikipia County.
According to evidence presented in court, Joyce Syombua, 31, travelled from Nairobi to Nanyuki on October 25, 2019, with her two children—10-year-old Shanice Maua and five-year-old Prince Michael—after Mugure invited them for what appeared to be a family reunion.
The following day, the family was seen leaving the military camp together before having lunch at Kilimara Springs Hotel. That was the last time they were seen alive.
Justice Muya found that after returning to the military camp, Mugure killed all three victims, placed their bodies in body bags, concealed them in the boot of his vehicle, and later transported them to Thigithu, where they were secretly buried.
The court ruled that the killings were premeditated. Evidence showed that three days before the murders, Mugure had visited the burial site with another military officer, convincing the judge that he had selected the location in advance as part of a carefully orchestrated plan.
A key prosecution witness, Collins Pamba, admitted assisting in disposing of the bodies. He testified that upon arriving at Mugure’s residence, he found Joyce’s body inside a body bag, while the children’s bodies were lying in the bathroom.
Pamba told the court that they tied the bodies with ropes, removed the spare tyre from the vehicle’s boot to create additional space, loaded the bodies into the car, drove them out of the military camp, and buried them at the remote site.
Although he admitted helping to conceal the crime, Pamba entered into a plea agreement with the prosecution, pleaded guilty to a lesser offence, and was sentenced to five years in prison. Justice Muya noted that his testimony was corroborated by scientific evidence.
DNA analysis conducted by the Government Chemist confirmed that the remains recovered from the grave belonged to Joyce, Shanice, and Prince Michael. The tests also established with a 99.9 percent probability that Mugure was the biological father of the two children.
Post-mortem examinations revealed that Joyce died from severe blunt force injuries, while both children were strangled to death.
The court further found that financial motives contributed to the murders. Joyce had previously obtained a court order requiring Mugure to pay KSh25,000 per month in child maintenance. However, he made only one payment before persuading her to travel to Nanyuki.
Justice Muya dismissed Mugure’s defence that he had left the children with one of Joyce’s friends, ruling that there was no evidence to support the claim and that the family never left the military camp alive.
The court consequently found Peter Mugure Mwaura guilty on all three counts of murder, holding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
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