Acquittals over murdered Briton

Joan Wells Root was shot dead in her home in Kenya's central Rift Valley in January 2006.

Magistrate Nicholas Njagi ordered the release of David Chege, Joseph Ndung'u, Philip Mutuku and Allan Githenji.

Mr Njagi said from the start of the case "the charge against the accused was defective".

Ms Root, 69, was a renowned conservationist and had collaborated with her husband Alan Root in making of many celebrated films about African wildlife.

Ordering the release of the four accused, Njagi said: "The court cries for the acquittal of the accused. The investigations were poorly done and it will remain so, and those are the orders of the court.

"From the word go, the charge against the accused was defective."

The 69-year-old was shot in her bed by an intruder armed with an AK-47 rifle during an apparent robbery.

The killing followed several other attacks on farmers and descendants of white settlers in the town of Naivasha, 90 km (55 miles) north-west of Nairobi.

The death of Ms Root and the ensuing trial have fuelled tension between the local population and white farmers.

In May, it was announced that Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts has signed up to play the conservationist.