KILIFI, Kenya (IP)
A Kenyan court has sentenced a man to 30 years in prison after he was found guilty of killing his wife during a dispute over her use of social media.
The High Court in Mombasa convicted Murad Awadh Mbarak, 40, for the murder of his wife, Nuru Ibrahim, following a domestic confrontation at their home in the Majengo Kanamai area of Kilifi South.
Prosecutors told the court that the fatal attack stemmed from an argument after the man accused his wife of opening an account on Instagram without his approval.
According to court records, the disagreement escalated into a violent assault in which Mbarak attacked his wife, inflicting injuries that led to her death.
The court heard that the altercation began as a domestic dispute before turning deadly.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence showing that the couple had been arguing over the woman’s presence on social media.
Investigators said the confrontation turned violent inside their home, where the accused assaulted the victim during the heated exchange.
In delivering the sentence, the judge described the killing as a grave act of domestic violence and noted that the victim lost her life over a dispute rooted in control and suspicion.
The court said the 30-year prison term was intended both to punish the offender and to serve as a warning against gender-based violence.
Under Kenyan law, murder can attract life imprisonment or the death penalty.
However, the court imposed a 30-year sentence after considering the circumstances of the case and the evidence presented during the trial.
The case has drawn attention to the growing role of technology and social media in domestic conflicts, with experts noting that disputes over digital communication are increasingly appearing in abuse cases.
Rights advocates say the ruling highlights the continuing challenge of gender-based violence in Kenya and the need for stronger awareness about controlling behavior within relationships.
For the victim’s family, the sentence closes a painful chapter in a case that began with a disagreement over social media but ended in tragedy.
