Evans Juma Wanjala has been sentenced to life imprisonment after the High Court found him guilty of defiling and killing 10-year-old Stacy Achieng in Moi’s Bridge, Uasin Gishu County.

While delivering the sentence, Justice Reuben Nyakundi said the court was satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution, showing that Wanjala deliberately planned and executed the crime. The judge said the murder of the minor was an “offence against humanity”, explaining that the child was defiled and later killed.

“The doctor’s reports indicated that she was seriously injured and her body was placed in a bag before being dumped in the forest where it was found,” Nyakundi said.

He said Wanjala had the option of walking away after defiling the child but instead chose to end her life. “You defiled the young girl and then decided that she would not live again and that her parents would not see her alive again,” the judge stated.

Nyakundi pointed out that the killing happened during a period between 2020 and 2021 when several children were reported missing in the Moi’s Bridge area.

He said the pattern showed a trend involving defilement followed by brutal murder.

Scientific findings placed Wanjala at the scene, with DNA results confirming that samples collected from the minor’s private parts matched those of the accused. The judge said the evidence left no doubt that Wanjala was behind the crime.

Justice Nyakundi said the child may have trusted Wanjala, thinking she was safe, as children are often considered to belong to the whole community. “You turned against her, defiled her and then decided to kill her,” he said.

He also observed that the accused showed no sign of remorse or regret. “You planned the offence and executed it brutally. This was what I call an offence against humanity,” the judge said.

Nyakundi said Wanjala robbed an innocent child of her life and deserved the life sentence imposed on him. “He cut short the life of an innocent young girl and did so brutally, and hence deserved life imprisonment.”

Wanjala has been linked to the killing of five minors.

However, he was convicted in this particular case involving Stacy. In his earlier confession to detectives, Wanjala led investigators to different locations where he had allegedly committed the crimes and described how he executed them.

A statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which was presented in court, detailed how Wanjala carried out the killings.

In the case before the court, Wanjala was found guilty of defiling and strangling the child six years ago. The judge said the prosecution had presented strong and convincing evidence.

The court relied on medical reports and expert testimony from forensic professionals. DNA tests showed that samples found on Stacy’s t-shirt and underwear matched those taken from Wanjala.

“Medical experts confirmed that the minor was defiled and strangled to death. Even DNA tests on blood samples collected from the minor’s t-shirt and underwear matched with samples taken from the accused,” Justice Nyakundi said.