Muruatetu is all about a case that was filed in the Supreme Court where Francis Karioko Muruatetu (1st Petitioner) and Wilson Thirimbu Mwangi (2nd Petitioner) who had been convicted of death sentence for the murder of business person Lawrence Githinji Magondu wanted mandatory death sentence as set out in Section 204 of the Penal Code removed from the Kenyan Law arguing that it is unconstitutional. They also wanted indeterminate life sentence be declared unconstitutional.
The two were represented by Lawyers Senior Council Fred Ngatia and Mr. Kilukumi.
In summary, the Supreme Court found that death sentence is lawful but provided advisory guidelines under which someone had to be sentenced to death. The guidelines are now used in criminal procedures involving murder.
On indeterminate or indefinite life sentence, the Supreme Court did not make a determination of it because counsel for the 1st petitioner did not provide adequate submission.
The Supreme Court also recommended parliament to develop a legislation on the definition of what constitutes life sentence and the number of years to be served before being considered for parole or remission or when one should serve a whole life sentence.
Here is the full petition and ruling on the Muruatetu case:
http://kenyalaw.org/caselaw/cases/view/145193/