MOMBASA, Kenya — The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has secured two life imprisonment convictions against two men found guilty in separate child defilement cases involving four minors in Changamwe and Jomvu sub-counties in Mombasa County.
In the first case, Resident Magistrate Green Odera sentenced Darius Mboga, also known as Kevo, 32, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty on three counts of defilement under Sections 8(3) and 8(4) of the Sexual Offences Act. He was also convicted on three counts of committing an indecent act with a child contrary to Section 11(1) of the Act.
The prosecution told the court that between 2021 and May 11, 2022, Mboga, who operated a barber shop in the Msikiti Noor area of Changamwe, sexually abused three boys aged 9, 12 and 16 after taking them into his care following the death of their mother.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Purity Musembi called six witnesses, whose testimonies the court found to be consistent and supported by medical evidence.
The abuse came to light after a teacher noticed one of the boys walking with difficulty and questioned him about his condition. The child disclosed the alleged abuse, prompting a report to the police. The three minors were later examined at Coast Provincial General Hospital, where medical findings corroborated their accounts.
In delivering the judgment, Hon. Odera held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt through credible witness testimony and corroborating medical evidence.
In a separate case, the same court sentenced Hassan Bakari Kombo, a 24-year-old boda boda rider, to life imprisonment after convicting him of defiling an eight-year-old girl.
Kombo was found guilty of defilement contrary to Sections 8(1) and 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act. The court also considered an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a child under Section 11(1) of the Act.
The court heard that the offence occurred on December 7, 2024, at about 2 a.m. in Mnazi Mmoja, Mikindani Location, Jomvu Sub-county, after the child’s guardian left her under the accused’s care while reporting to work.
The minor later informed her mother of the incident, who reported the matter to the police. Medical evidence presented during the trial supported the child’s testimony and other prosecution witnesses, leading the court to reject the accused’s claim that he had been framed.
Hon. Odera ruled that the prosecution, which presented five witnesses in the second case, had also proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Both convicts were informed of their right to appeal and were granted 14 days to challenge their convictions and sentences.
The convictions underscore Kenya’s continued enforcement of stringent penalties for sexual offences against children. Under the Sexual Offences Act, defilement of children aged 11 years and below attracts a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction, while the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 guarantees every child the right to protection from abuse, neglect and all forms of violence.
The cases also highlight the importance of early reporting by teachers, guardians and members of the public in safeguarding children and facilitating successful prosecution of sexual offences.