By Michelle Ndaga
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Kwale has secured a 30-year prison sentence for a middle-aged man who defiled his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
In her ruling, Resident Magistrate Hon. Ruth Ogolla found Mangisi Chaka Mangisi guilty of defilement under Section 8(1) read with Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act, 2006, and committing an indecent act on a child under Section 11(1) of the same law. The magistrate noted that five prosecution witnesses presented watertight evidence warranting conviction and sentencing.
The offences occurred between April 2021 and November 2022 in Kayawaa Village, Waa Location, Matuga Sub-county, Kwale County, where the accused repeatedly abused the minor while she was under his care.
The case came to light on January 4, 2023, when the victim disclosed the abuse to her guardian. Police were alerted, and the girl underwent a medical examination at Kwale Sub-county Hospital, with a P3 form completed to document the evidence.
On January 13, 2023, police, together with the victim and her guardian, recorded statements from witnesses in Lungalunga, Mwamose Village, who corroborated the victim’s account. The accused was arrested on January 22, 2023, and subsequently tried in court.
The prosecution was led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Collins Orwa and Prosecution Counsel Mahdy Twalib.
The conviction and 30-year jail term mark a significant step in delivering justice for the minor and sending a strong message that sexual offences against children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
