By Andrew Kariuki
A man from Lungalunga in Kwale County has been jailed for life after the court found him guilty of sexually abusing his nine-year-old daughter.
Senior Resident Magistrate Joy Mutimba delivered the sentence after the prosecution, led by Khamis Mahdi, called six witnesses whose evidence the court found consistent and reliable.
The court heard that the minor was assaulted twice on March 9, 2025, first in the family shamba and later that night while asleep beside her sister at their home in Mabanda Village, Mtsamviani.
The child confided in her aunt, who testified that the girl had been reluctant to stay with her father at the start of the school holiday in January 2024.
The aunt later alerted the child’s mother, who was working in the Gulf.
Police officers testified that they arrested the accused at his home after the report was filed.
A clinical officer from Mkongani Health Centre told the court that examination revealed a broken hymen and vaginal infections, findings consistent with sexual assault.
The father denied the allegations, claiming the child ran away and that she had been mistreated at her aunt’s home.
The court rejected his version, finding it unsupported by evidence.
Magistrate Mutimba noted that the court had taken caution while relying on the testimony of the minor as a single witness but found her account truthful, reinforced by medical and circumstantial evidence.
The court also confirmed through the birth certificate that the accused is her biological father.
The court concluded that the prosecution proved the charge of incest under Section 20(1) of the Sexual Offences Act beyond reasonable doubt and convicted him under Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He will serve a life sentence.
