Two Men Sentenced to Life for Defiling Minors in Tana River

Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by Hola Law Courts in Tana River County after being convicted of defiling two minors in separate cases involving girls aged 11 and 12.

In the first case, a 65-year-old man identified as Jilo was handed a life sentence after being found guilty of defiling an 11-year-old girl in Kone Village.

The offence was committed on various dates in October 2025, with Senior Principal Magistrate Edward Too finding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

During the trial, six prosecution witnesses testified, including the minor, her mother and grandmother, a children’s officer, a clinical officer and the investigating officer.

The court also considered medical and documentary evidence, including a P3 form, treatment notes and the child’s birth certificate, which supported the prosecution’s case.

In his judgment, Too found the child’s testimony consistent and corroborated by the evidence presented by the other witnesses. He also dismissed the accused’s alibi defence, ruling that it did not raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.

The magistrate said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence and the need to deter similar crimes. Jilo was convicted under Section 8(1), read together with Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006, which provides for life imprisonment where the victim is aged 11 years or below.

In a separate case, Bakari Dhadho Salim was also sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of defiling a 12-year-old girl in Mikinduni Village.

The offence was committed between June 18 and June 26, 2026. The conviction adds to the two cases handled by the Hola court involving minors who were below the age of 13.

Under Section 8(3) of the Sexual Offences Act, defilement involving a child aged between 12 and 15 years attracts a minimum prison sentence of 20 years.

The two rulings underscore the consequences of child defilement convictions, with both offenders receiving life sentences following separate trials at the Hola Law Courts.