NYERI, Kenya — Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment after they were convicted of robbery with violence and gang rape in Nyeri County.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) secured the convictions against Samuel Kabutu Kiunuhe, Michael Ndungu Kiritu and Daniel Muraguri Wangari following a trial over an incident reported in Kiamwathi on April 11, 2023.
The three were charged with robbery with violence contrary to Section 296(2) of the Penal Code and gang rape contrary to Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Act.
According to the prosecution, the three men, who were armed with a knife and acting jointly, robbed the complainant of household items before subjecting her to violence.
The first and second accused, Kiunuhe and Kiritu, were separately charged with gang rape, while Wangari faced the same charge on the basis of common intention.
During the trial, prosecution counsel Ms Obat called seven witnesses to testify against the accused persons.
The court heard that the complainant identified the perpetrators. DNA analysis conducted by the Government Chemist also linked samples obtained from the complainant to Kiritu and Kiunuhe.
The court further found that the identification evidence presented against Wangari was sufficient to place him among the perpetrators.
In her judgment, Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma of the Nyeri Chief Magistrate’s Court found that the prosecution had proved the charges against all three accused persons beyond reasonable doubt.
The court subsequently convicted the three men of robbery with violence and gang rape.
Each convict was sentenced to life imprisonment for robbery with violence and 20 years in prison for gang rape, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said the outcome demonstrates its commitment to ensuring perpetrators of serious offences are brought to justice while safeguarding victims’ rights and upholding the rule of law.
