This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
On June 30, 2020, the High Court in Nairobi ordered a retrial in a case involving two former Kenya Sevens rugby players, Frank Wanyama and Alex Olaba.
The two players, who were serving 15-year prison sentences each for raping a woman in 2018, received a reprieve after the High Court ordered their retrial.
They were initially convicted by Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku of Milimani Law Courts on August 16, 2019, and found guilty of gang-rape.
According to Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2006, any person found guilty of gang-rape is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than 15 years.
The two players were convicted of gang-raping a musician on February 10, 2018, at a house party in Seefar apartments, Nyayo Highrise.
Justice Grace Ngenye Macharia directed a repeat trial for the two after they successfully appealed. A retrial means the case will return to a lower court for a second or further trial on the same issues and with the same parties.
The hearing of the appeal case was held via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sources indicate that a different magistrate will handle the retrial.
