A family in Nakuru has urged a judge to jail their father for the brutal murder of their mother.

In their submission in court, the siblings, a brother and his two sisters, appealed to Justice Samwel Mohochi to send their father, Stephen Nderitu, to prison for killing Rosa Chochok, their mother, in 2023.

Nderitu has been convicted of the murder he committed on the eve of Valentine's Day, February 13, 2023, in Tritago village, and is currently awaiting sentencing.

The children argued that their father's actions were callous, cold-blooded, malicious, and intended to kill their mother.

They stated that on numerous occasions, he had threatened to kill her and vowed to dispose of her body in the same well where her remains were found on that tragic day.

Their 15-year-old daughter testified that on February 11, 2023, her father picked her up from school around 5 p.m. because she was unwell.

He took her to the hospital for treatment. Afterwards, he asked the school for permission to let her stay home to recover.

Two days later, around 7 p.m., the father instructed the mother to milk the cows, but she refused because she was also feeling unwell. He dismissed her refusal and forced the children to help him.

The girl stated that their mother slept in the kitchen that night, which displeased the father.

Around 9 PM, he allegedly entered the kitchen, switched off the lights, and demanded that his wife join him in their bedroom, but she refused.

Disappointed by her response, he reportedly pulled her out of bed, causing her to fall, and dragged her out of the kitchen.

The girl heard her mother screaming and begging for help, pleading for her life. She later went to bed, believing her mother was packing to leave for her parents' house.

The next morning, the kitchen appeared clean, but she noticed blood stains on the slippers and water bottles.

The father dropped her off at school and was later picked up around 11 AM after the discovery of her mother’s remains.

Johnson Lengeywa, the brother, testified that while at home, he heard his sister screaming.

When he responded, he found their mother lying next to their father, who was allegedly holding a hammer and a panga, threatening to kill his son and forcing him back to his house.

The next morning, Lengeywa was sent to the Nessuit shopping centre and, upon returning home, discovered that his mother was missing.

He found a panga with blood on the handle and a hammer also stained with blood. When he asked his father about the blood, Nderitu took away the two items and gave him a different panga.

As he contemplated what to do, Lengeywa tried calling his mother, but the call went unanswered.

After that, he contacted his siblings, who advised him to check the well since their father had threatened to kill their mother and dispose of her body there.

True to their fears, Lengeywa found their mother's body in the well, covered in a blanket. He testified in court that his father showed no remorse and continued to threaten them.

"We submit that this case calls for the harshest penalty permitted by law. We urge this court to impose a deterrent sentence and to sentence him to the maximum penalty prescribed under Section 204 of the Penal Code," the children stated in their submission.

Nderitu is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28.