Narok: Man sentenced to life in prison for marrying 10-year-old girl

Saigulu Ololosereka, who appeared before Narok Senior Resident Magistrate Phyllis Shinyanda, was charged with two counts: defiling a ten-year-old girl and marrying her in violation of the law in 2019.

Ms. Shinyanda stated in her decision that the man was warned of the gravity of the situation after pleading guilty to the charges, but he maintained that he married the girl because the parents had given her to him for marriage.

Shinyanda went on to say that the crime was grave and barbaric, and that the victim had to have endured three years of hell.

The Senior Magistrate went on to say that the heinous act had a long-term physiological and physical impact because the young girl had female genital mutilation before marrying and later had a caesarian section when giving birth.

She observed that, despite being warned of the gravity of the offense, the accused man showed no remorse.

Instead, he insisted that the young girl was his wife, whom he had married three years before.

While reading the sentence, the magistrate reiterated that she had taken into consideration the age of the defiled girl, who, in addition, had been impregnated, and that the man has been defiling the minor for the last three years. 

She said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators.

She sentenced Ololosereka to life in prison for the first count of defilement and three years for the second count of early marriage, which he will serve concurrently.

Tito Wanga, the state prosecutor, expressed satisfaction with the verdict given the gravity of the offense.

The culprit has 14 days to appeal.