A homeless ‘pastor’ was on Tuesday detained for defiling a 16-year-old girl during a prayer and counseling session in South B, Nairobi.
Makadara senior principal magistrate Angelo Githinji allowed a prosecution request that Michael Lagat Kimutai be detained pending the hearing and determination of his case.
Kimutai was accused of ordering the girl to remove her clothes and open her legs before defiling her on January 5 at Industrial Area. The man later switched off his phone and went into hiding.
Kimutai was later arrested in Kericho.
The prosecution said the minor's sister had invited a family pastor at her home counsel and prayer for the girl who was going through depression.
And because she was tired, she retired to bed early to allow the two have a candid talk.
At about 4 am, the sister was woken up by a knock at the door with the girl informing her that the ‘man of God’ had defiled her. She narrated how the 'pastor' ordered her to remove clothes and open her legs so that he could anoint her.
"He then applied oil on her private parts before unzipping his trousers and defiling her on the living room coach," the prosecution said.
The sister insisted that they go to hospital for an examination and it was while at the hospital that Kimutai switched off his phone and vanished.
The accused faced a second count of committing an indecent act with a child. He was also charged with intentionally touching the private part of a child.
Kimutai denied the charges.
The prosecution asked that Kimutai be denied bond because he has no fixed abode.
“Your honour, the accused person used his position of a pastor to commit the offence, and after the incident, he ran away and switched his phone off. It took so much effort to arrest him. I pray that this court will deny him bail,” said lawyer Okatch.
The case will be heard on May 5.
edited by peter obuya
