A court in Kilifi has handed two men 28 years imprisonment after they were found guilty of defiling a 16-year-old girl on February 9, 2025, at Mwambetsungu.
In a statement on X on May 27, 2025, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) revealed the two convicts are 21-year-old Gift Kalu Mwango and Emmanuel Kazungu Mganga, 19.
“The court heard that the victim had gone out to collect her shoes at 10:00 pm when she was accosted by the two, who were her neighbours,” the DPP stated.
Further, the court heard that the two covered her mouth and took her to a nearby thicket, where Mwango defiled her while Mganga held a knife and threatened her with violence if she resisted.
While delivering judgment, Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa ruled that the ingredients of gang defilement had been laid out, alongside the age of the victim, the act of penetration and the identity of the perpetrators.
“Having considered the prosecution’s case and defence, the court is satisfied that the prosecution has proved the main charge of gang defilement beyond doubt. The accused are found guilty and convicted accordingly,” Obulutsa ruled.
Although the court noted that Mganga did not participate in the defilement, it considered that he saw what was happening and had the option of either stopping the act or walking away.
The case was prosecuted by Ridhwan Mohamed.
Makueni County
This comes a week after poverty, drug and substance abuse, poor parenting, and mental health were singled out as major factors contributing to defilement, rape, and suicide incidences in Makueni County.
Other factors included economic inequality, women getting involved in love affairs outside their marriage, and cultural beliefs that especially put a lot of pressure on men in the community.
The revelations were made by members of the public, elected and opinion leaders, and civil society during a public participation session when the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide Taskforce visited Makueni County.
“We cannot rule out poverty as a major contributor to GBV and suicide. Poverty levels are high in the county,” Makueni Woman Representative Rose Museo said during a public participation at Wote Technical Training Institute on Friday, May 18, 2025.
Museo particularly took issue with the defilement of minors, saying such incidents destroyed the lives of children completely, and it was time to address the problem, which is negatively impacting the girl child in the county.
In this regard, she called for concerted efforts from all elected leaders, members of the public, civil society and government agencies to address the problem.
