Why Kisumu man who killed four of his family members was handed 4 death sentences

A Kisumu High Court judge has sentenced Shem Akuku Otieno, alias "Daddy", to death after he pleaded guilty to murdering his wife, seven-year-old son and two relatives in a case the court described as one of the most aggravated murder cases it had ever encountered. Justice Joe Omido ruled that the Supreme Court's Muruatetu decision did not abolish the death penalty, but only removed its mandatory nature, allowing courts to impose death sentences in exceptional cases where the circumstances justify the ultimate punishment. In this Court Helicopter Explainer, Lawyer Danstan Omari analyses the landmark judgment, explaining why the court imposed four death sentences, why only one sentence will be executed while the others remain in abeyance, and what the ruling means for future murder trials in Kenya. The discussion also addresses widespread misconceptions about the death penalty after Muruatetu and explores the legal principles governing multiple murder convictions and sentencing.