By Michelle Ndaga
A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of robbery with violence in a case that left a local resident injured and traumatized.
Michael Onyango Ochieng, popularly known as “Jonyo”, was convicted by the Winam Law Courts for violently robbing John Okaka on May 11, 2024, in the Manyatta area of Kisumu.
The court heard that Okaka was accosted at around 7:00 a.m. by three men armed with a crowbar.
The attackers struck him on the head before stealing two mobile phones and cash. The victim sustained head injuries, with medical evidence confirming blunt force trauma.
Multiple prosecution witnesses, including neighbors, medical officers, and investigating officers, placed Ochieng at the scene of the crime.
Several witnesses identified him by name as a known individual in the community, while Okaka himself pointed him out as one of his assailants.
An identification parade conducted by police further strengthened the case against Ochieng. Although he denied involvement, claiming he had been arrested at a kiosk unrelated to the crime, the court dismissed his defense.
Delivering judgment, Principal Magistrate Dennis Ogal ruled that the prosecution, led by Raymond Nyongesa, had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He noted that the evidence left no doubt that Ochieng was part of the gang that assaulted and robbed the victim.
Ochieng was convicted under Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Code and handed a 20-year prison term.
