Man jailed 25 years for killing girl who refused his advances when he was underage

A Naivasha court has sentenced a man to 25 years in prison for the murder of a 15-year-old girl who rejected his sexual advances.

 Justice Grace Nzioki found Fredrick Mwonjoria guilty of the crime committed six years ago when he was a 17-year-old student at Nanyuki High School.

The prosecution, led by Counsel Shirley Chepkonga, presented 12 witnesses and demonstrated that the accused and the deceased were neighbors. Mwonjoria had acted as a tutor to his victim, offering extra academic classes.

"On the fateful day, she visited his home for help with school assignments but never returned. Her worried parents searched for her in vain, only for her body to be discovered the following day along a roadside. Her father later identified the remains," said the ODDP in a statement on their Facebook wall.

A prosecution witness testified that Mwonjoria eventually confessed to the murder. He admitted to inviting the deceased for revision, during which he made advances toward her.

When she refused, a struggle ensued. The girl overpowered him and tried to escape, but he stabbed her in the back. 

As she bled on the sofa, he panicked and moved her to the bedroom, where she lay in pain. Realizing she was unconscious, he inflicted additional stab wounds on her face, chest, and back.

During sentencing, the defense pleaded for leniency, urging the court to treat Mwonjoria as a child under the Children Act 2022.

However, the prosecution opposed this plea, arguing that he was no longer a minor and that the gravity of the crime warranted a deterrent sentence.

Citing legal provisions and judicial precedents, the court ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Nzioki emphasized that the conviction was based on the established elements of murder, including the occurrence of death, the accused’s actions, and malice aforethought.