the late colonial period in attempting to control the behaviors and actions of
women. The legal case of the Kamba Ngutu wa Munyoki is an example of the
complexity of gender in colonial Kenya.
The Case of Ngutu wa Munyoki
On September 11, 1949, Ngutu wa Munyoki was accused of murdering his
wife, Mukie. He stated he was provoked because she was “troublesome and
disobedient.”11 Following Akamba tradition, Munyoki inherited Mukie after the
death of her first husband. According to the testimony of the accused, the
relationship was in good standing for ten years until Mukie began “going with
males.”12 Munyoki stated the following in his court testimony about the incident:
“I warned her. She would not listen to me. She came to Mombasa and I
caught her with Karissa s/о Sila...The man paid me 30/- and we settled the
matter. I went to live at Kilumbi. There she was going on with one Masimbo
and Karisa. I warned her again but she did not listen to me...She said she
wanted to live with her son Mutua at her uncle’s house (Kithuku,s).We had a
long dispute on that day and Kithuku told her to live with me...Then she left
and went to the forest to get vegetables. She came back with them and
cooked them. It was 5 p.m. Then she left the house and went to the well to
fetch water. I waited till 6.30 p.m. I followed her to the well and told her that
the vegetables had burnt in the kitchen. She replied she did not want to speak
with a dog like me. I stabbed her and killed her. I do not know why she did
not listen to me when I told her not to go with men. I have no more to say.“13
A clear fact of this case was that Munyoki felt he had a problem controlling
the actions, behaviors, and words of his inherited wife. Mukie challenged the
authority of her husband by looking for spaces of freedom. In between cooking
vegetables and fetching water, Mukie found a free moment. Unfortunately, it is
not certain what her true motives were or what really happened at the well.
l' Judgment Document, Supreme Court of Kenya, KNA MLA 1/344/226/49 p. 1.
12 Court file, Plea of the Accused, Supreme Court of Kenya, KNA MLA 1/344/226/49 p. 6
13 Ngutu wa Munyoki Plea of the Accused, Supreme Court of Kenya, KNA MLA 1/344/226/49 p. 6
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