This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
On February 20, 2019, a heinous crime shook the quiet village of Minyere in South Kanyikela Location, Ndhiwa Sub County. A 25-year-old farmer, Pual Juma Rwaka, was sentenced to life in prison for defiling a five-year-old girl.
The court, presided over by Vincent Kiplagat, found Rwaka guilty of having carnal knowledge of the minor contrary to the Sexual Offences Act. The minor, a pupil at an Early Years Education center in Ndhiwa Sub County, was defiled at her mother's house at 7pm.
Initially, Rwaka denied the offence, but the evidence presented in court told a different story. The minor's elder sister testified that she found Rwaka washing his genitals using water in a container after committing the offence. Medical reports also confirmed that the minor had been defiled.
Rwaka's defence was that he was the breadwinner of his family and had been left with the responsibility of taking care of his other siblings. However, the court was not swayed by his plea for leniency.
According to the court's ruling, there was overwhelming evidence that Rwaka had defiled the minor. The judge said, 'There is overwhelming evidence that the suspect defiled the girl. It is a clear indication that the accused committed the offence.'
Rwaka has been granted 14 days to appeal before being taken to Homa Bay Prison.
