Kitui man jailed 20 years after admitting to abusing his daughter

A 55-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to defiling his underage daughter over several years, a case the court said should warn anyone involved in child abuse.

Senior Resident Magistrate Elizabeth W. Karani of Kitui heard that the man repeatedly abused the child between 2020 and 2024, and the girl later became pregnant.

Her identity is withheld for protection.

The court was further told that the man is also a suspect in another case in which an older relative of the child was killed.

He had been hiding from police until he was arrested and brought to court.

Despite the seriousness of the offences and repeated warnings from the court, the man insisted on pleading guilty.

The prosecution read the facts and produced evidence, all of which he confirmed as true.

A mental assessment was ordered because of the additional murder allegation.

The report showed he was fit to stand trial, allowing the court to proceed with sentencing.

Principal Prosecution Counsel Ms. Florence Njihia prosecuted the case.

Magistrate Karani, while issuing the mandatory sentence under the Sexual Offences Act, said the punishment should remind the public that abusing children is a grave crime that will be met with severe consequences.