A Mau Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old girl in Igembe South, Meru County, following a prosecution led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
According to a court filing posted on October 1, 2025, the offence took place on May 26, 2024, when the accused attacked the minor, a class two pupil, while her mother was at the church.
The victim testified that she clearly recognised her assailant during the ordeal, a statement that was supported by four prosecution witnesses.
Senior Resident Magistrate Ken Muchiri, while delivering his judgment, praised the strength of the prosecution’s case and the consistency of the child’s account.
“Having observed the victim’s demeanour during testimony, I found no reason whatsoever to doubt her evidence,” he said.
The court further noted that the victim’s clear recognition of the accused eliminated any possibility of mistaken identity.
It dismissed the accused’s defence, in which he claimed that the second prosecution witness, his wife, framed him out of suspicion of adultery.
“The accused failed to raise this issue during cross-examination, making his defence a mere sham and an afterthought,” the magistrate ruled.
Prosecution Counsel Kelvin Gitonga welcomed the ruling, saying the conviction reflected the team’s effort to ensure justice for survivors of sexual violence.
In sentencing, Magistrate Muchiri underscored the seriousness of the crime and the need for deterrence.
The DPP has hailed the conviction as a strong demonstration of its commitment to pursuing justice in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases, particularly those involving children.