Kwale water vendor sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling 7-year-old boy

KWALE, Kenya, Oct 26 — A Kwale man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of defiling a seven-year-old boy in Vivalani village, Lunga Lunga Sub-County.

Athumani Juma, a water vendor, was sentenced by Senior Principal Magistrate Lucy Kabaria at Msambweni Law Courts after the prosecution proved the offence beyond reasonable doubt.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said Juma was convicted of defilement contrary to Section 8(1), as read with Section 8(2), of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006.

The offence occurred on June 7, 2025, when the complainant, a Grade Two pupil, was playing football.

According to evidence presented in court, Juma called the child, who declined to follow him. The accused then allegedly grabbed the boy and took him to his house, where the offence occurred.

The court heard that Juma subsequently threatened the child against disclosing what had happened.

The incident came to light after the boy’s brother and uncle noticed that he was unable to control his stool and pressed him to explain what had happened.

The matter was subsequently reported at Kikoneni Police Station, and the child was taken to hospital for medical examination.

Medical evidence presented during the trial revealed a loss of sphincter muscle strength, which the prosecution said was consistent with overstretching and penetration.

The prosecution called five witnesses whose testimonies supported the case against Juma.

In her judgment, Magistrate Kabaria found that the prosecution had established the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

She noted that the child’s testimony was consistent and supported by medical evidence and other witnesses.

Juma denied the charges, claiming that he had been framed.

However, the court dismissed his defence, finding that the evidence presented by the prosecution was credible and that his identity as the perpetrator was not in doubt.

The court noted that the child knew Juma because he worked as a water vendor in the village.

Juma was convicted under Section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the court imposed the life sentence.

The court also informed him of his right to appeal against both the conviction and sentence within 14 days.

The DPP said the sentence followed a successful prosecution of the case, underscoring the criminal justice system’s response to sexual offences against children.