A man, 24, who confessed eloping with an underage girl has been committed to serve 20 years in jail by a Loitoktok law court for defilement.
Justine Marau was convicted and sentenced by Principal Magistrate Judicaster Nthuku Monday for defiling a girl, 13, after eloping with her and marrying her according to Maasai traditions.
Marau is said to have committed the offense on diverse dates between 2020 and May1, 2022 at Kuku Ward in Loitoktok Sub County.
The girl who is a school dropout had told the court how she started sexual intimacy with the accused, while working at his shop in 2020.
On December 2021, she realized she was pregnant and when she informed the accused, he eloped with her to Mashuuru Sub County, where they lived as a couple.
Nantoye ole Kiruti, mother to the girl had told the court how on March 24, 2022 she came home found her daughter not at home.
She learned later that the accused who had employed the minor in his shop had eloped with her for marriage, hence she reported the matter at Ilasit police station, before contacting the accused who confirmed he was with the girl.
Chief Nkama Sub location in Kuku Ward, Robert Mintei, told the court how on May 2, 2022 he met the accused who introduced the girl as his wife, before he informed the girl’s mother who confirmed she had received the report from the accused.
The following day the accused was arrested and charged with the offense, before being arraigned in court where he denied the allegations.
In his defence, the accused had told the court that he was not aware that it was against the law to marry an underage girl.
However, in passing the judgement, the Magistrate, who convicted the accused for the offence said the constitution is supreme and any other law, whether cultural, but contravening it is null and void.
The accused has 24 days to appeal against the sentence.
