A quiet afternoon in Eldoret turned tragic when police officer Maxwell Maina shot his wife, Mercy Chebet, in their home at the Railways Police Lines. The incident occurred on November 28, 2021, and ended a love story in violence and heartbreak.
Maina was sentenced to 15 years in jail by the High Court in Eldoret after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Justice Reuben Nyakundi handed down the verdict, stating that forgiveness couldn’t replace justice.
“You did this act without any provocation or circumstance that would justify self-defence,” Nyakundi said, emphasizing that Maina, as a trained officer, was armed to protect, not destroy.
According to witnesses, Maina was drunk at the time of the shooting and had accused Chebet of refusing to open the door. After the incident, he returned to his workstation, carrying on with his duties as if nothing had happened, before surrendering himself at the Railways Police Station.
Pastor Rebecca Kipchumba, who witnessed the incident, testified that Maina shot Chebet twice in the chest and later instructed her not to take Chebet to the hospital, saying she was already dead. Chebet succumbed to her injuries while being taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Nyakundi noted that the senseless death could have been avoided had Maina chosen to act as a protector rather than a perpetrator. Maina has 14 days to appeal the court’s decision.
