A prisons beauty queen accused of murder can now enjoy freedom after she was acquitted. A judgement at the High Court in Kitale was good news for Ms Caroline Momanyi, who had emerged winner in a past beauty contest in prison.

But her boyfriend, James Onsano, was not lucky after he was sentenced to hang for murdering his parents. Justice Nicholas Ombija acquitted Momanyi, who holds the title of Miss Kitale Prison, Wednesday. The couple had been charged with the murder of Wilson Obuchi Nyakoye and Rebecca Nyaboke Obuchi.

They were accused of killing Onsano’s parents on June 9, 2003, at Goseta village in Trans Nzoia District. Onsano slashed the elderly couple to death after they reportedly opposed his marriage to Momanyi. He then hid the murder weapon inside a latrine, but it was later retrieved alongside his blood stained jacket and a pair of trousers.

The prosecution called nine witnesses, including Onsano’s elder brother Hezron Obuchi, who is a secondary teacher in Kisii Central. While delivering the judgement, Justice Ombija noted the recovered murder weapon and clothes tabled in court as evidence, directly linked Onsano to the murder. "I am satisfied with the evidence that Onsano attacked his parents and hacked them to death before fleeing the compound," he ruled yesterday.

Setting free Momanyi, the judge observed there was no collaborating evidence linking her to the murder. "I agree with one of the assessors and acquit her," he ruled.