This archive report was first published on 8 July 2021.
On July 8, 2021, a Kisumu court handed down a life sentence to 71-year-old Bernard Ngonga for allegedly defiling and impregnating his 15-year-old daughter in 2020.
Ngonga was found guilty of incest contrary to Section 20 (1) of the Sexual Offenses Act after a court in Muhoroni sub-county within Kisumu established that he had threatened his daughter with a kitchen knife before defiling her and had threatened her not to report him to anybody.
The court also heard that Ngonga's daughter had tried to seek help after the incident but was turned down by her step-mother and a village elder, who claimed she was lying.
However, the minor eventually reported the incident to the police, who took action and arrested Ngonga. Medical reports later confirmed that Ngonga's daughter was pregnant with his child, which unfortunately died at birth.
Ngonga denied all the accusations, claiming he had been framed, but the court found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Magistrate Everlene Onzere delivered the ruling, stating that Ngonga had 14 days to file an appeal if he was not contented with the judgement.
