By Michelle Ndaga
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has secured a life sentence against a Mombasa man convicted of defiling a six-year-old girl in Likoni.
Paul Kilonzo Muthami was found guilty of defilement contrary to Section 8(1), as read with Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act, No. 3 of 2006. He had also faced an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a child.
The prosecution, led by Counsel Purity Musembi, told the court that Muthami lured the child into his house on November 6, 2022, under the guise of watching television, where he committed the offence.
Five witnesses, including the victim, gave consistent testimonies linking him to the crime.
Resident Magistrate Hon. Green Odera ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing the accused’s actions as “a grave violation of a child’s innocence.”
The court heard that the victim confided in her mother after the ordeal, identifying Muthami known locally as “Baba Ibrah” as the perpetrator. Family members and residents apprehended him before handing him over to police at Likoni Police Station. A medical report confirmed the assault.
In passing the life sentence, Hon. Odera stressed the importance of protecting children from sexual predators, noting that the punishment would serve as a deterrent amid rising cases of child defilement in the country.
