29-year-old man handed life sentence for defiling 10-year-old girl in Tana River

A 29-year-old man from Tana River County has been sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling a 10-year-old girl.

Anwar Said Balozi committed the heinous offence on October 10, 2021, in Ziwani village, Tana River North Sub-County, after waylaying the victim while she was collecting firewood.

He fled the scene soon after, remaining in hiding for three years before his eventual arrest on December 25, 2024.

“Prosecution presented 6 witnesses during the 65-day trial. The court heard that Balozi waylaid the victim when she was out collecting firewood in a nearby bush,” the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said.

“The minor testified that Balozi strangled and pinned her to the ground before committing the act. He also inflicted serious injuries that led to her being hospitalized for 7 days.”  

Balozi was handed the sentence at the Garissa Magistrate Court on Wednesday after a 65-day trial, with Resident Magistrate Robert Lemayan ruling that the prosecution had proved beyond doubt that he was culpable of the offence.