NAIROBI, Kenya— A Kenyan court has handed a 10-year prison sentence to a 44-year-old Chinese businessman after he was found guilty of committing an indecent act on a 17-year-old girl aboard an international flight.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions announced the conviction on Thursday, confirming that Li Jianjun will serve a decade in prison before being deported back to China.
How the Incident Unfolded
The court heard that on December 7, 2025, aboard a China Southern Airlines flight bound for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Li intentionally touched the private parts of the minor with his right hand against her will.
The victim, a 17-year-old girl traveling from Changsha, China, to Kenya to attend a United Nations conference, testified that the assault occurred at approximately 4:00 AM while she was asleep.
“She felt someone touching her leg outside her clothes. Then he touched her private parts, opened her trousers’ zip, and put his hand inside,” the prosecution told the court.
The teenager was seated in the middle seat, while Li occupied the aisle seat (55C).
Defence and Verdict
In his defense, Li Jianjun blamed the cramped seating on the plane, claiming he felt “squashed.” He also stated that he had slept throughout the flight and denied touching anyone inappropriately.
However, Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku ruled that the prosecution, led by Mr. Allen Mulama and Ms. Mercy Katsivo, had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“I have considered Li’s defence as well as the submission. He blamed the tight space of the seats in the plane,” the magistrate noted. “However, the court believed the testimony of the minor because of her clarity in giving testimony and her demeanour.”
The court further noted that the minor was still visibly traumatized by the incident, even while testifying via video link.
The Sentence
Magistrate Thuku sentenced Li to 10 years’ imprisonment, with the term beginning from the date of his arrest. Upon completion of his sentence, he is to be repatriated to China by the Department of Immigration Services.
The court also reviewed a copy of the victim’s passport, confirming she was born in December 2008, making her 17 years old at the time of the assault.
Li had traveled to Kenya to repair machinery at a shoe factory, boarding the flight in the evening from Hunan Changsha province after checking in around midnight.
