A Lamu court has sentenced a 23-year-old man to 30 years in prison after he was found guilty of repeatedly sodomising a 14-year-old boy over a 10-day period in November 2024.

Lukman Ismail Athman, also known as Jelal, was convicted at the Lamu Law Courts by Principal Magistrate Peter Wasike, who found him guilty of defilement under Section 8(1), read together with Section 8(3), of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006.

He was also convicted on an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a child, contrary to Section 11(1) of the same law.

The offences took place between November 14 and 24, 2024, at Paradise in Langoni Location, where Athman had been staying at the home of the victim’s family.

The court heard that the boy’s mother had taken in Athman and his cousin, who had travelled from Somalia, offering them shelter during their stay in Lamu.

According to testimony, the abuse began soon after the cousin returned to Somalia.

The minor told the court he woke up one night to find Athman sexually assaulting him. When he attempted to resist, Athman allegedly threatened to kill him if he spoke about it. The acts continued the next day.

The ordeal came to light when the victim’s mother noticed Athman leaving her son’s room and confronted the child, who then disclosed the abuse. The court heard harrowing details of how the boy suffered in silence.

In his impact statement, the boy recounted how the incident had destroyed his sense of trust, isolated him from his peers, and strained his relationship with his mother, who blamed him for what happened. He said his life had since narrowed to just two places—school and home.

The boy’s mother, visibly distressed, told the court that the betrayal by someone she had trusted had not only devastated her family but also led to her second divorce.

“I gave him a place to stay because he had nowhere to go. I never imagined I was opening my home to someone who would ruin my child’s life,” she said.

The prosecution, led by Idris Kipruto Tomno, called nine witnesses whose accounts supported the victim’s testimony and helped secure the conviction.

While delivering the sentence, Magistrate Wasike condemned the offence and said the court had a duty to uphold justice for children who fall victim to such crimes.

“This court has no room for mercy when it comes to those who violate children. The law must speak loudly and clearly against such acts,” he stated.