By TONY MUSISI
A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Eldoret court after he was found guilty of defiling a 10-year-old Grade Five pupil last year.
Principal Magistrate Caroline Wattimah ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that David Zakayo Ahilo committed the offence against the minor.
Ahilo, who was unrepresented during the trial, was accused of luring the boy to his house with a Sh10 mandazi before sexually assaulting him and warning him against telling anyone about the incident.
According to court documents, Ahilo committed the offence on the night of September 19, 2025, at Teleview Estate on the outskirts of Eldoret City, Kapseret Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County.
While delivering her judgment in a packed courtroom, Wattimah cited the physical and psychological trauma suffered by the victim, who is still undergoing counselling.
She said the overwhelming evidence presented before the court, coupled with the profound impact of the offence on the minor, warranted a severe sentence.
“The court found it necessary to hand life imprisonment to the accused for the heinous act he committed against the Grade Five boy in order to deter future offenders from committing similar crimes,” Wattimah said.
A detailed victim-impact report submitted to the court by Probation Officer Lydia Koech painted a grim picture of the impact of the assault on the child.
The report stated that since the night of the incident, which occurred at the convict’s rented house, the victim had suffered chronic stomach pains, severe psychological trauma and a significant decline in his academic performance.
The report further indicated that the minor had experienced stigma at school, with some of his playmates and classmates allegedly isolating him and subjecting him to taunts over the sexual assault.
The offence was investigated by police officers attached to Langas Police Station, who arrested Ahilo after he was implicated by the victim’s family.
The prosecution called seven witnesses, including the victim and his mother, in support of the case.
When given an opportunity to mitigate, Ahilo asked the court to consider the period he had spent in custody at Eldoret GK Prison before sentencing.
However, Wattimah said she had considered the submissions by both parties as well as the victim-impact report before imposing the sentence.
“I have heard both parties’ submissions, including the victim’s report, and due to the overwhelming evidence, this court has sentenced you to life imprisonment,” the magistrate said.
The court granted Ahilo 14 days within which to appeal against the conviction and sentence.
