- For five years, Anita Tonui faced her father in court after he brutally killed her mother, Emmy, in a premeditated attack that shattered their family
- Anita’s younger siblings, then six and in high school, watched helplessly as their father set their mother ablaze, a trauma that has haunted them ever since
- In a candid interview with TUKO.co.ke, the young woman narrated how a five-year wait for justice turned out to be one of the hardest things she has ever done
Torturous, traumatising and emotionally draining are the words that Anita Tonui would use to describe the past five years.
Source: Facebook
For those five long years, she sat in a courtroom, staring at the man who raised her and who murdered her mother.
The night of October 7, 2020
In October of 2020, her father, Robert Kipkorir, travelled about 20 km with a well-orchestrated plan to kill her mother, Emmy, on a night that changed Anita and her siblings’ entire lives.
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, the 28-year-old recounted that her mother, Emmy, had moved to her parents’ home after leaving her matrimonial house to seek refuge, fearing for her safety.
“My dad had repeatedly vowed to her and even to me, that one day, he would kill her. Other times, he would say either he or my mum would die. And so my mum lived with this fear, but it got so dangerous for her that she had to go to stay at her parents’ home for safety,” Anita narrated.
While at her parents’, Emmy confided in the area chief about her fears that her husband would make good on his threat.
“She talked to the chief about a week before she was killed by my dad,” she remembered.
On the fateful day, the then 50-year-old man travelled to his wife’s parents’ home, 20km away from his house, armed with petrol and ready to end her life.
After arrival, he stayed put, waiting for the moment when he would orchestrate his murder plan.
Anita recalls that her father waited for everyone to leave, and while her mum was only in the company of her then six-year-old son, the worst happened.
The man doused Emmy, a teacher, in petrol and without thinking twice, he lit a matchstick, and flames enveloped her body, causing her fatal injuries
Not even the presence of Anita’s little brother dissuaded the man from committing the horrific act.
“My brother, then six years old, was terrified and had to run while screaming, calling out for help as he watched the flames consume my mother. My younger sister, then in high school, had to take off her own dress to cover my mum. That day changed our lives because it was my two young siblings who had to watch it all happen,” she remembered.
Source: UGC
Anita’s fight for justice for her mum
In just an instance, her mum was gone, and their lives were shattered.
Then a 23-year-old, and the first born, Anita had to make it her personal mission to seek justice, while also now looking after her younger siblings and providing for their needs.
She recalls the pain and trauma of having to move on with life without her parents as her father was now in police custody, as the main suspect in her mother’s brutal murder.
“My father, the man who was supposed to love and protect her. That moment shattered everything I knew about love, family and security. That single act destroyed not only her life but also shattered ours, too,” she said.
She and her siblings turned to Kenya’s justice system, determined not to rest until justice was served. But she quickly learned that the wheels of justice grind slowly.
She did not know it then, she was entering a very painful quest for justice, which would have her relive her mum’s death at every court mention and hearing.
“Thinking about it now, I can reckon that the court became a place I both dreaded and depended on, in equal measure. Every mention, every hearing, every postponed date reopened a wound that never healed,” she said.
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The prosecution lined up 16 witnesses, two of whom were her little brother, who was an eyewitness, together with her younger sister. One of the most painful moments was watching her young brother testify.
“I could not fathom why a young boy like himself had to go through that. He, however, was the only one who could place my father at the scene of the crime. But it was not an easy day; I remember he had to identify my father, and he did. His testimony was really important, but he did not have to witness such a horrific thing happen to his mother,” she said.
Her maternal grandfather was also a prosecution witness, and when he went to testify, he broke down for nearly 30 minutes after he was shown photos of Emmy’s remains.
“He was asked to identify if that was his daughter, and he could not hold his pain after seeing those pictures; he broke down. It was a painful moment,” she said.
Every time he walked into the Bomet High Court, her anxiety would surge as she had to face the accused, her dad.
For the five years she attended the murder trial and sat in the same courtroom as him, Anita wondered whether her dad had even an ounce of remorse, as he had premeditated the murder for a long time.
“One time, while I was studying at the university, he called me and made a very chilling threat. He told me I would find a list of all his properties in a black book at home, because he wanted to kill my mum and then himself,” she said.
The young woman said the phone call unsettled her, and she quickly called her paternal grandparents, telling them of her dad’s threat.
“They did not believe me. They called me a liar and did not seem shaken by what I had told them,” she recounted.
Source: UGC
Lack of familial support in the quest for justice
She said she witnessed the same indifference from her dad’s relatives after her mum’s murder.
To them, the blame for Emmy’s murder was hers, and they even castigated Anita for seeking justice.
“They wanted my mum’s murder swept under the rug by having the community elders solve the matter. I had to stand my ground because my mum’s life mattered,” she said.
Anita noted that due to the patriarchal ideals that dominate her community, she was branded rebellious for choosing to pursue justice in court.
But to honour her mum’s memory, she had to press on, and when she could not afford a lawyer, she turned to organisations that could link her with a pro-bono lawyer.
Though unsure if a pro bono lawyer would give the case enough attention, she had no other choice.
Anita said her mum was an advocate against Gender Based Violence, and so she wanted to fight for her too, like she also fought for others.
“My mother was a strong woman. She faced life with courage, even when it wasn’t kind to her. In these five years, I’ve tried to carry that same strength within me. Each court appearance, each frustrating delay, each tear-filled night reminded me that the fight is not just about punishment, but about her dignity, her truth, and her legacy,” she said.
In his defence during the trial, the accused attempted to justify his action, arguing he did not premeditate the murder.
He asked the court for leniency, asking for a non-custodial sentence, saying he wanted to be home to look after his children.
Bomet court finds Anita’s dad guilty
On September 24, 2025, Anita and her siblings finally breathed a sigh of relief after the Bomet High Court found her father guilty of killing her mum.
“It felt like this huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders. I had waited for those words for so long, and I muttered to myself, saying, ‘mum can finally rest in peace’,” she said.
In his judgment, Justice Julius Ng’arng’ar dismissed the accused’s defence of having no motive to commit the murder, explaining that travelling to her parents’ home and using petrol proved premeditation. He sentenced him to 40 years in prison.
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
“The journey had been gruelling, endless court dates, sleepless nights, financial strain, and the emotional toll of reliving her last moments over and over. Yet, standing there in that courtroom, hearing the final judgment, it felt as if a burden we had carried for years had slightly lifted. It was not closure in the sense of forgetting, but a step toward peace,” she added.
Anita now hopes she and her siblings can finally move forward and get the counselling they need.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
