A 41-year-old man was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s daughter by a Kabarnet Court.
Panga Lonyangane was accused that on May 22, 2024, at about 6 p.m at Donyasasi village in Tiaty West Sub County, he intentionally and unlawfully defiled the minor.
Lonyangane, who appeared before Principal Magistrate Caroline Ateya and denied committing the heinous act, was charged with defilement contrary to Section 8(1)(2) of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006.
The minor in a special court interrogation told the court that on the material day she was going home from school when she met the accused, who grabbed and dragged her into a maize farm where he forcefully undressed her.
The neighbour, the girl told the court, defiled her repeatedly, warning her of dire consequences if she told anybody, as he promised to give her Sh100.
The grade 5 pupil told the magistrate that it was her sister who came to her rescue as the accused fled away.
The Principal Magistrate, in her ruling, said that after going through a pre-sentence report presented to court and its recommendations, she has concluded that the accused was not suitable to serve a non-custodial jail term given the nature of the offence.
“The offence committed therein provided for a minimum sentence of 10 years, given that the accused is a first offender,” she said.
Ms. Ateya sentenced the accused to 10 years of imprisonment to serve at Kabarnet GK Prison.
By Esther Mburu and Joshua Kibet
