KABWE, ZAMBIA: Five individuals, including a Nigerian national and his Zambian girlfriend, have been granted bail after Zambian prosecutors formally reduced the homicide charge from murder to manslaughter in a case that has captured national attention.
The suspects, 34-year-old Nathaniel Barthram (Nigerian), his girlfriend Maria Zaloumis, and Zambian nationals Daniel Chiluwa, Fortune Mwitangati, and Gift Daka, were initially charged with the murder of 22-year-old Enoch Kasengele following an incident at Onani Farm in Kabwe on August 17, 2025.
Legal Shift Leads to Bail
The significant legal shift occurred during the recent sitting at the Kabwe Magistrate’s Court. State Advocate Joseph Zimba informed Magistrate Wamundila Liswaniso that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had decided to downgrade the charge. While the initial charge was murder, a non-bailable offense contrary to Section 200 of the laws of Zambia, the reduced charge of manslaughter is bailable.
Defense counsel immediately moved to apply for bail, confirming the accused’s readiness to adhere to all necessary conditions.
The court granted bail set at K20,000 (Zambian Kwacha) for each of the five accused. A critical condition for the release of each suspect is the provision of “two traceable civil servant sureties.” Furthermore, the state successfully requested that Mr. Barthram, a Nigerian national residing at Tuzini Farm, surrender his passport as part of his bail terms.
All five suspects had previously been remanded at the Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility following their initial arraignment on August 28. The case, which involves the death of the victim, a resident along the Kabwe-Lusaka Road, has now been transferred and is scheduled to proceed to trial at the High Court in the coming weeks.