A 36-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after the Kibera Law Courts found him guilty of defiling his 13-year-old daughter.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul also slapped the man with an additional five-year sentence for cruelty, after evidence showed he repeatedly assaulted the child using a knife and even pinched her ears with pegs. The five years will, however, run in abeyance while he serves the life sentence.
The court heard that the case came to light only after the girl was rescued and placed in a children’s home. Away from her father’s intimidation, she confided in a social worker about the abuse, a testimony later supported by medical reports and witness statements.
Magistrate Abdul described the man’s conduct as a “complete lack of humanity,” stressing that defiling one’s own child is the ultimate betrayal of parental duty and deserved the harshest penalty under the law.
The prosecution, led by Ms. Keitany, was praised for its thoroughness in presenting evidence that proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
For the young girl, the verdict marks the end of a painful chapter and the beginning of healing. Her courage to speak out against her abuser not only brought justice but also highlighted the urgent need to protect society’s most vulnerable.
