Bungoma man jailed for life for defiling four-year-old PP1 pupil

A Bungoma court has sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of defiling a four-year-old girl at Myanga village.

The ruling was delivered by Senior Resident Magistrate M.A. Onyango, who said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had conclusively proved the case.

The offence occurred on December 14, 2024.

In her judgment, Onyango noted that the prosecution had established the three key elements required under Section 8(1) and (4) of the Sexual Offences Act.

“I find that the prosecution has proved the three ingredients of the offence of defilement, and I proceed to convict the accused,” she ruled.

The court heard that three witnesses positively identified the accused after he was discovered in a thicket with the minor. Their testimony went unchallenged and was pivotal in linking him to the crime.

A pre-sentencing report presented in court detailed the lasting trauma endured by the child, who continues to face abdominal complications as a result of the assault.

Her mother told the court that the ordeal had deeply affected her daughter both physically and emotionally.

Prosecutors Wycliffe Minishi, Grace Gachau, and Recheal Karani presented seven witnesses during the trial. The ODPP later hailed the conviction, saying it underscored its commitment to safeguarding children from sexual predators.

The Bungoma case comes just days after another man in Mombasa was sentenced to life in prison for defiling a six-year-old girl in Likoni.

Resident Magistrate Green Odera ruled that the prosecution, led by Counsel Purity Musembi, had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The accused had lured the girl into his house on November 6, 2022, under the pretext of watching television before committing the offence.

Five witnesses, including the child, testified in court and consistently placed the man at the scene. The minor later reported the incident to her mother and identified the perpetrator, a neighbour.

Members of the public apprehended the man before handing him over to police. Medical examinations confirmed the assault.

In both cases, the courts emphasised the seriousness of crimes against children and reaffirmed that life imprisonment remains the mandatory penalty for offenders under the Sexual Offences Acts.