Anne Mumba Freed on Bail as Supreme Court Considers Murder Appeal

The Supreme Court of Appeal has granted bail to Anne Mumba, who was convicted of murdering her husband, Professor Peter Mumba, pending the outcome of her appeal.

In November last year, the High Court sentenced Mumba to 53 years in prison for the murder, which was alleged to have occurred in 2020. She filed an appeal on November 22, challenging both her conviction and the length of the sentence, and later applied for bail pending appeal.

That application was dismissed by the High Court in a ruling delivered by Justice Sylvester Kalembera, prompting Mumba to seek a stay of sentence and bail from the Supreme Court of Appeal. The higher court has now granted her request.

In her appeal, Mumba argues that while the trial court concluded her husband died from poisoning, there was no evidence showing that she administered the poison. She also maintains that the specific type of poison was never identified.

In granting bail, the Supreme Court stated that, after weighing all relevant factors and acting in the interest of justice, continued detention while awaiting the determination of the appeal was not necessary.

Mumba, who is 56 years old, was convicted of unlawfully causing the death of her husband between April 24 and 25, 2020, at their home in Area 38, Lilongwe.