Pastor gets 30-year jail term after DNA links him to cousin’s child

A Kilifi pastor has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was convicted of defiling his 15-year-old cousin twice and impregnating her.

Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki sentenced the pastor after finding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The offences were committed on diverse dates between June 2023 and February 2024, when the complainant was 15 years old.

The girl, who testified in court at the age of 16 in June 2024, told the court that the accused was her cousin and a pastor at the church where she worshipped.

She testified that in mid-2023, the pastor invited her to fast and pray with his wife for spiritual cleansing.

According to her testimony, the pastor later defiled her at his home and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident.

About two weeks later, the pastor allegedly lured her back to his home for prayers and fasting, claiming the sessions would prevent her from marrying a non-Christian after completing school following a divine vision. She was later defiled for a second time.

Several months later, the girl discovered that she was pregnant. Her mother reported the matter to police, after which the girl was taken to hospital and her pregnancy was confirmed.

A government analyst later presented DNA evidence showing a 99.9 per cent probability that the pastor was the biological father of the girl's child.

In his defence, the accused initially denied the offence before admitting that he had sexual intercourse with the minor. He however claimed that he had been coerced and did not know her age.

The magistrate dismissed the defence as baseless and an afterthought and found the accused guilty.

“I find merits in the prosecution's case on the principal charge of defilement. The accused person is hereby sentenced to serve 30 years imprisonment,” the magistrate ruled.

The court directed the convict to exercise his right of appeal against the conviction and sentence within 14 days.