Four men sentenced to 30 years in prison for gang-raping 14-year-old girl who was heading home from church

The convicts; Emmanuel Mutemi, Kennedy Irungu, Peter Mwaura, and Ben Thuo are said to have committed the offence on the eve of the new year in 2022.

Delivering the sentence, Kibera Law Courts Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul ruled that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt through testimonies of nine prosecution witnesses whose testimonies and exhibits in court placed the four at the scene of the crime. 

"The magistrate also noted that the offence of Defilement has become so rampant in Kibra hence, the sentence should be a deterrent to those intending to pursue that direction in society," the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions noted in a statement on Thursday.

According to submissions made in court, the victim was heading home from a church service to usher in the new year on 1st January 2022 at midnight when the four men accosted them.

She told the court that her friend managed to escape but she was cornered by the men who took her to a nearby abandoned mud house and took turns to defile her from midnight until daybreak. 

"She further told the court that they threatened to slit her throat had she tried to scream for help," added the ODPP.

"She added that she managed to identify the perpetrators through the illumination of street lights and recognized them since they were people, she could see in the neighborhood on a daily basis."