This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On September 19, 2019, High Court Judge George Dulu handed down a two-year probation sentence to two minors, RKK and VKB, for their role in the death of a class prefect in Kericho.
The minors, aged 14 and 16, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges after initially being charged with murder. Their plea bargaining agreement with the prosecution saw the charge reduced.
According to court documents, the incident occurred when the 14-year-old pupil became annoyed that the class prefect had listed him for punishment for speaking in vernacular. The pupil then picked a fight with the prefect, which was joined by his 16-year-old brother. The two minors beat up the prefect until he fell unconscious, and he later died in hospital.
Justice Dulu noted that the offence would have attracted a stiffer sentence if the accused were older. He emphasized the need to discourage such behavior among young persons, citing its increasing prevalence in Kenya.
