A Kenyan woman, Mary Waithera, found herself before the Makadara Law Courts facing charges related to a breach of peace for killing her mother’s four chickens and threatening to set herself ablaze. The charges stem from her threatening to set herself and her relatives ablaze during a heated family dispute on November 18, 2023. Waithera, who admitted to creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace, appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Gerald Mutiso.
In her statement to the court, she expressed remorse for her actions and attributed the outburst to the depression she has been grappling with since losing her job. According to court records, the confrontation unfolded when Waithera returned home in an inebriated state and engaged in a quarrel with her mother, accusing her of neglect since the loss of her job in 2020. The accused lamented feeling unloved in her own home, escalating the argument into chaos. Amidst the confrontation, Waithera reportedly dismissed the intervention of her young brother, took a matchbox, and retreated to her room, where she threatened to set herself ablaze. Distraught, her mother and brother pleaded with her to reconsider, eventually alerting the authorities, who promptly arrested Waithera. During her court appearance, Waithera’s emotional state was palpable as she recounted the distress that led to the regrettable incident. Her brother, listed as a witness in the case, will only testify if she chooses to deny the charges before conviction and sentencing.
