Baringo: Man sentenced to 6 months probation for slapping another in Kabarnet

A 32-year-old man accused of assaulting another man by slapping him on the face has been sentenced to six months probation by a Kabarnet court.

Nicholas Kiprotich appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Caroline Ateya and was convicted of unlawfully assaulting Allan Tomno on April 17, 2022, around 10 pm at AP Canteen in Kabarnet town.

The court found that his actions caused actual bodily harm, contrary to section 251 of the Penal Code.

The prosecutor told the court that Tomno was at AP Canteen when Kiprotich allegedly slapped him across the face.

 “I was at an AP Canteen when someone slapped me on the face and I fell down. When I got up, I saw Nicholas was the one who had slapped me. I asked for my phone back but he hit me with his fist,” the victim recounted.

He added that Nicholas pushed him on the wall and pressed his groin before fleeing with Ksh.18,000.

A clinical officer from Baringo County Referral Hospital examined the victim and reported that Tomno had been slapped on both sides of the face and the right side of the chest.

The officer noted tenderness in both temporal regions and the right anterior chest.

Kiprotich, in his defense, denied involvement in the assault, claiming he was not at the scene during the incident.

He also alleged that he was falsely charged because he had purchased a motorcycle that the complainant intended to buy.

In her ruling, Magistrate Ateya stated that the court was convinced by the evidence presented and found the accused guilty of assault as charged.

Kiprotich pleaded for leniency, arguing that he is the sole provider for his young family and has children in school. He promised to avoid future conflicts.

A pre-sentence report by a probation officer indicated that the accused was not a threat to the community and had no prior convictions.