24-year old man to serve 20 years imprisonment for defilement

Murang’a, Thursday, April 20, 2023

K.N.A By Bernard Munyao

A 24-year-old man was on Wednesday sentenced to serve 20 years imprisonment by a Kangema court after he was found guilty of defiling a 15-old girl.

Daniel Gachege was found guilty of committing the sexual offense on November 19, 2020 at Gatunguru location in Mathioya Sub County.

He was alternatively charged with touching the complainant’s private parts on the same date.

In her testimony, the girl who was by then a form four student, told the court the accused was her boyfriend and they engaged in sexual intercourse after she visited him in his house.

She narrated, the accused requested her to visit him in the evening of the said date and after an agreement engaged in sexual intercourse.

The complainant further told the court, she became friends with the accused when he used to visit their home, adding Gachege was his father’s friend and used to do some work together.

The girl stated that on the material day, her mother after looking for her for some hours, confronted them at the accused’s house but together with her boyfriend they managed to push her outside thus getting a chance to escape.

“After the incident, my mother managed to get me at my aunt’s home where I had escaped to, and together with another lady they took me to a nearby heath centre.

“At the health centre I was examined and given some drugs. Later my father reported the matter to the local police station and Gachege was arrested,” she told the court.

The clinical officer who examined the complainant said there was penetration at the girl’s private parts but it was not the first time for the girl to have sexual intercourse.

The medical officer further said after the examination, pregnancy and HIV tests turned negative.

In his defense, Gachege said the complainant was his girlfriend and they agreed to have sexual intercourse saying it was the first time to have an affair with her.

He told the court he was not aware that the girl was under age saying it was not the first time for the girl to have sexual intercourse. He pleaded for leniency saying he was young and wanted to start a family.

Principal magistrate Irene Gichobi said the witness produced before the court proved the accused committed the offense saying the girl was still a student. She gave the accused 14 days to appeal if he was not satisfied with the judgment.

Courtesy K.N.A