The Court of Appeal in Mombasa has upheld the death sentence for Charles Mutuku Kalii, convicted of murdering his two young sons in Taita Taveta County in 2017. A three-judge panel rejected his appeal on October 24, 2025, ruling that trial evidence, including DNA, witness testimony, and the absence of forced entry, was strong enough to support the conviction.
Kalii was found guilty in July 2023 by the High Court in Voi for killing eight-year-old Gabriel Mutuku and five-year-old Evanton Paul during a domestic dispute. Court records show their mother fled their home after Kalii became violent while drinking, leaving the boys behind. The next morning, the children were found dead with deep throat wounds on a blood-soaked mattress. A blood-stained knife and Kalii's jeans tested positive for one victim's DNA.
Kalii claimed he was too drunk to form intent and said he had left for work that morning, but the appellate judges dismissed these arguments. They applied the "last seen" doctrine, noting he was alone with the children before their deaths, and ruled his intoxication claim insufficient to negate responsibility. The court called the killings brutal and affirmed the death penalty.
Kalii was found guilty in July 2023 by the High Court in Voi for killing eight-year-old Gabriel Mutuku and five-year-old Evanton Paul during a domestic dispute. Court records show their mother fled their home after Kalii became violent while drinking, leaving the boys behind. The next morning, the children were found dead with deep throat wounds on a blood-soaked mattress. A blood-stained knife and Kalii's jeans tested positive for one victim's DNA.
Kalii claimed he was too drunk to form intent and said he had left for work that morning, but the appellate judges dismissed these arguments. They applied the "last seen" doctrine, noting he was alone with the children before their deaths, and ruled his intoxication claim insufficient to negate responsibility. The court called the killings brutal and affirmed the death penalty.
