Court gavel.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) secured a 15‑year sentence for 32‑year‑old Mwakombe Katana Karisa after a Kilifi magistrate ruled him guilty of raping a 21‑year‑old student.
Chief Magistrate James N. Mwaniki delivered the conviction, stating that the prosecution proved the rape beyond reasonable doubt.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Winnie Atieno Otieno guided the case, presenting eyewitness, medical and forensic evidence linking Karisa to the offence.
Karisa was charged under Section 3(1)(a)(c) of the Sexual Offences Act, No. 3 of 2006. The assault occurred on 10 July 2024 in a Kilifi village, where the court found he unlawfully penetrated the student without consent.
Evidence showed the victim was heading to school at about 6 am when Karisa, armed with a knife and a bottle, confronted her.
“The man threatened the student, strangled her, forcibly removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her,” the DPP stated.
Immediately after the attack, an independent witness noticed the victim’s soiled uniform and reported the incident.
The witness’s account corroborated the victim’s testimony, helping to establish the order of events.
Medical examination confirmed the victim had recently suffered a sexual assault.
Tests after the incident revealed a broken hymen and bleeding, supporting the victim’s version of events.
Forensic work also supported the prosecution’s case.
Analysis detected spermatozoa on collected evidence, and DNA profiling matched the material to Karisa.
This scientific evidence reinforced the victim’s testimony and located Karisa at the scene.
Despite denying the charge and presenting an alibi, the court found the evidence pointed overwhelmingly to him.
The defence was rejected after the court concluded that witnesses, medical and forensic findings consistently implicated Karisa.
In sentencing, the court highlighted the seriousness of the crime and the necessity of protecting vulnerable people from sexual violence, the DPP noted.
Karisa was given 14 days to appeal both the conviction and sentence.