Ex-NTV Journalist Moses Dola Released After Serving Time for Wife’s Death
A former journalist who had been imprisoned for more than five years over the tragic death of his wife in 2011 has now regained his freedom.
Moses Dola, once a reporter, was found guilty of causing the death of his wife, Sarah Wambui Kabiru, at their home in Umoja, Nairobi. Wambui, who was also a journalist working for NTV at the time, lost her life during a domestic dispute that ended in tragedy.
Dola’s release was granted after High Court Judge Alexander Muteti reviewed his sentence and approved a reduction. In a virtual court session, the judge ordered the prison authorities to release him immediately unless there were other legal reasons to keep him in custody. This ruling came as a major relief for Dola, especially after a previous request for sentence reduction had been denied.
Fight for a Sentence Reduction
Dola had been seeking a review of his sentence, arguing that the time he spent in remand before his trial should be counted as part of his 10-year jail term. He insisted that based on this calculation, he should have been released in November 2023 rather than serving until 2025.
His legal troubles began in May 2011 when he was first arrested following his wife’s death. He spent 627 days in remand before being granted bail, which was set at KSh 1 million. Initially charged with murder, the court later downgraded the charge to manslaughter, and in November 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.
During sentencing, Justice Roselyne Korir canceled Dola’s bail terms, noting that he had been the stronger party in the physical altercation that resulted in his wife’s death.
The Fatal Incident
Dola’s life took a turn for the worse on May 1, 2011, when a domestic argument escalated, leading to Wambui’s death. According to his testimony, the argument started over the volume of music playing in their home. The situation quickly turned physical, and in the struggle, his wife hit her head on the bed.
In court, Dola maintained that it was not intentional, describing it as an unfortunate accident. He recalled that at the time, he did not immediately realize the severity of the injury because they had fallen onto the mattress.
The last words spoken by his wife, according to his testimony, were, “Ona umeniumiza”—a Kiswahili phrase meaning, “See, you have hurt me.”
With his release now granted, Dola’s case remains a tragic example of how domestic disputes can spiral out of control, leading to irreversible consequences.
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