18/12/2025
A Kenyan Man based in USA has been sentenced to 26 years in prison after admitting to killing his wife, a serving U.S. Army soldier, in a domestic violence incident.
John Mwangi, 43, pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder for the fatal shooting of his wife, Sgt. Esther Gitau, which occurred on February 21 at their home in Killeen, Texas, outside the military base. A military court also imposed additional penalties, including loss of all pay and benefits, demotion to the lowest rank (E-1), and a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Army. He will serve his sentence at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
Sgt. Gitau served as a food safety inspector with the 1st Medical Brigade and had previously been stationed at Naval Station Norfolk and Fort Knox. According to prosecutors, the shooting followed a heated argument between the couple. Their two children were inside the house at the time of the incident.
Describing the case as a devastating and permanent loss, prosecutors said the sentence, while unable to undo the tragedy, ensures accountability for the crime.
Mwangi is also expected to face a separate civilian murder case in Bell County, with his next court appearance set for March 20.
