Lilongwe – Annie Debre Mumba, the woman sentenced to 53 years in prison for the murder of her husband, the late Professor Peter Mumba, has died while out on bail pending appeal.Mumba, 56, passed away yesterday at Dr Chirwa Clinic in Lilongwe.
Her sister, Beat Kasakatira, confirmed the death, attributing it to asthma complications. Family sources say burial arrangements are being finalised, with interment expected in the coming days.
The news brings a sudden end to a long-running and highly publicised case that has dominated headlines since Professor Mumba’s mysterious death in April 2020.
A History of Suspicious Deaths
During the trial, High Court Judge Mzonde Mvula repeatedly highlighted that Professor Peter Mumba was not Mumba’s first husband to die under suspicious circumstances. Court records showed that her previous husband, Yotamu Manda, died suddenly in 1999. The judge described the similarities as striking and factored this history into the stiff sentence as an aggravating element.
Justice Mvula noted that having lost a husband before in similar fashion, Mumba ought to have acted with greater urgency when Professor Mumba fell ill at their Area 38 residence on the night of April 24-25, 2020. Instead, the court found she deliberately delayed rushing him to hospital until it was too late.
Professor Mumba, a respected Chemistry lecturer at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), was working on a book the very day he died. A postmortem conducted after exhumation pushed for by concerned family members established the cause of death as acute poisoning with a chemical compound.
Conviction and Appeal
Mumba was convicted in June 2024 of murder contrary to Section 209 of the Penal Code. In November 2024, she was sentenced to 53 years imprisonment with hard labour. The judge described the killing as calculated, pointing out Mumba’s apparent lack of interest in pursuing a postmortem while family members pressed for one. She was also criticised for quickly upgrading the coffin to a casket.
She appealed both conviction and sentence. The High Court denied her bail, but the Supreme Court of Appeal granted it on January 14, 2026. She had been free on bail since then until her death.
Mixed Reactions Expected
News of Mumba’s death is likely to elicit mixed reactions across the country. While some may see it as the final chapter in a painful saga for Professor Mumba’s family and colleagues at LUANAR, others have followed the case closely and questioned aspects of the evidence, particularly the unidentified poison.
Professor Mumba’s relatives have not yet issued a public statement. Sources close to the family say they are still processing the development.
Mumba’s passing means the Supreme Court of Appeal will no longer hear the full appeal, effectively ending legal proceedings in the matter.
Further details on the funeral service and burial will be published as they are released by the family.
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