A court in Isiolo on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment a man who raped a minor in 2018.
Isiolo Principal Magistrate Evanson Ngigi said the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that 60-year-old Gerald Murungi from Bulapesa committed the heinous act.
The court had heard that the accused lured the minor from her home on the evening of June 13, 2018.
The girl had arrived home from her aunt’s house in Kiwanjani and found that her mother had not returned. She decided to play outside as she waited for her mother to come home.
It is during this time that the accused found her and told her she could wait for her mother at his house.
The court further heard that when they got to his home, Murungi – who is known in the community as ‘Kalulu’ – told the minor to wash his clothes but she refused.
The apparent pedophile then attacked the girl, ripped off her clothes and raped her while warning her not to scream. He then locked the door and ordered her to go to sleep.
When he woke up the next morning, the 60-year-old raped the girl again before releasing her. When she got home, she found that her mother had already left for work; she then looked for her uncle and told him what had happened.
The uncle reported the matter to police leading to Murungi’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
In his ruling, Principal Magistrate Ngigi said life imprisonment sentence should serve as a warning to other sex predators who prey on children.
“Nimeridhishwa na ushahidi uliotolewa na mtoto, na nimeamua mwanaume huyo afungwe kifungo cha maisha kama hadhabu kwa kosa hilo na iwe funzo kwa wengine kama yeye,” he said.
The convict was given 14 days to appeal the sentence.
