Father handed life sentence over defilement of mentally challenged daughter

By Peter Ochieng

A step-father has been jailed for life in Tana River County, after being found guilty of defiling his 9-year-old mentally challenged step-daughter.

The ruling was delivered by Hola Resident Magistrate Benson Kabanga.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the court heard that the minor was lured into a sexual activity by the convict, when her mother was away.

“Kabanga convicted the accused on 30th September 2024, and he was consequently sentenced to life imprisonment on 28th October 2024, after the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt,” said the ODPP.

The convict committed the offence on 14th September 2022. The victim's sister caught him red handed in the act, when she returned from school.

“Prosecution, through Michuki Alfred, called 6 witnesses who testified and established a case against the accused person. The victim's mother also testified that she returned home and found the victim crying, and upon examination she noted her clothes had blood stains and this was collaborated by medical evidence,” added the ODPP.

The convict has 14 days to lodge an appeal.

Meanwhile, proceedings of the Shakahola Massacre case involving Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 92 co-accused continued on Monday at the Shanzu Law Courts.

Before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, the court heard testimony from a witness, the father of one of the accused, who shared his account of how his son became involved with Mackenzie's religious movement.

The father told the court that his son, through a referral from one of his former schoolmates in high school, was introduced to the Good News International Church associated with Paul Mackenzie.

After joining the church, the father added, his son who was undertaking a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the Technical University of Mombasa, abandoned his education and retreated to the forest in Shakahola.

The witness further told the court that when he questioned his son on why he no longer took education seriously, he said that the world was coming to an end and there was no need to continue with education which was an earthly and evil thing.