The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has secured a life imprisonment sentence against a man convicted of defiling his six-year-old daughter in Garissa County.
The sentence was handed down by Garissa Law Courts Resident Magistrate R. Lemayan after the court found the accused guilty of the offence, which was committed in January 2026.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on January 22, 2026, at around 11pm in the Bulla Ijara area of Garissa Township, where the accused intentionally defiled the minor, identified as P.M.
The court heard evidence from the child and four other prosecution witnesses, which helped establish the case against the accused. The child's testimony placed him at the scene and confirmed that he was her father.
The prosecution also presented medical evidence to support the case. This included testimony from a doctor, a P3 form and treatment notes, which the court considered alongside the other evidence presented during the trial.
In its ruling, the court highlighted the child's young age and the relationship between the accused and the victim, noting that a parent has a responsibility to protect a child from harm.
Magistrate Lemayan observed that the accused had betrayed the trust placed in him as a father by committing the offence against his own daughter.
“The court has considered the offence and the relationship between the accused and the complainant. This is a father and daughter relationship, and as such, the accused was required to protect her, but instead he is the one who preyed on her,” the magistrate said.
The court noted that the complainant was below 11 years of age, a factor considered in determining the sentence under Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act.
The provision addresses defilement involving children below the age of 11 and prescribes life imprisonment upon conviction.
Following the conviction, the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the court granted him 14 days within which to file an appeal against the decision.
The prosecution was led by Principal Prosecution Counsel Sharon Irungu, who represented the ODPP during the proceedings.
