Four people have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the offence of gang rape.
Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a statement shared via social media on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, said that the four were found guilty of the offence contrary to Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Act, 2006.
They were sentenced by Kabarnet Senior Resident Magistrate Edwin Mulochi.
Guilty of gang rape
ODPP stated that the prosecution, led by Counsel Rebecca Bartilol, called four witnesses to testify and presented compelling evidence that demonstrated the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The evidence, ODPP says, satisfied the legal threshold required for conviction.
The convicts who have been identified as Bernard Kiprop, Jackson Cheruiyot, Kurgat Chebotibin, and Benson Cheruiyot, are believed to have committed the offence on September 24, 2023.
The incident, ODPP says, took place at approximately 7:00 pm in Sirwet Sub-location, Baringo South Sub-County.
“The Prosecution, led by Counsel Rebecca Bartilol, called four witnesses to testify and presented compelling evidence that demonstrated the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt, satisfying the legal threshold required for conviction,” the ODPP stated.
“The incident occurred on 24th September 2023, at approximately 1900 hours in Sirwet Sub-location, Baringo South Sub-County where Bernard Kiprop, Jackson Cheruiyot, Kurgat Chebotibin, and Benson Cheruiyot, perpetrated this heinous crime against the victim.”
In a case heard by the Kabarnet Court, Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. E. Mulochi sentenced four accused persons to fifteen years in prison each after they were found guilty of the offence of gang rape, contrary to Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Act, 2006.
The Prosecution,…
— Office of The Director Of Public Prosecutions (@ODPP_KE) November 5, 2024
Femicide cases
The sentence comes amid rising concerns over the increase in cases of femicide.
In some of the femicide cases that have been reported recently, most women are raped before being brutally murdered.
Last week, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Eliud Langat revealed that at least 97 women have been killed in the last three months.
Addressing the media, the police boss raised alarm on the increased insecurity cases urging Kenyans to collaborate with the security agencies in tackling gender-based violence in society.
“Murders against women have increased, with 97 cases having been reported in the last three months,” Eliud Langat said during the press briefing on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at the National Police Headquarters.
President William Ruto has since announced an all-war-out approach in dealing with cases of femicide in the country.
Speaking on Sunday, November 3, 2024, the Head of State announced that his administration will take all the necessary steps to tackle the issue which is slowly sliding out of hand.
While attributing the rise of femicide cases to moral and criminal issues, Ruto assured the country that his administration is ready to empower law enforcement officers to track down perpetrators of these heinous acts.
“I have listened to you keenly and it’s true our women are being killed anyhow. These are people who we should be showing love to them. How can it be that our girls, the women of Kenya that expect us to love them, that now they are dying in the hands of men?” Ruto stated.
