A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after an Eldoret court found him guilty of defiling a 10-year-old boy. Principal Magistrate Caroline Wattimah convicted David Zakayo Ahilo after the prosecution called seven witnesses who provided evidence linking him to the sexual assault reported in September 2025.
The court heard that Ahilo persuaded the Grade Five pupil to accompany him to his rented house in Teleview Estate by offering him a mandazi. Once inside the house, the child was sexually assaulted, with the court further hearing that Ahilo warned him not to tell anyone about what had happened.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that the child continued to experience the effects of the assault after the incident. A victim impact report cited persistent stomach pains, emotional distress and a decline in the child’s performance at school. The report also documented alleged stigma and taunting by some classmates following the incident, adding to the psychological impact on the child.
In determining the sentence, Magistrate Wattimah took into account the trauma suffered by the victim and the consequences of the offence. Ahilo, who did not have a lawyer representing him during the proceedings, asked the court to consider the period he had already spent in custody.
The court nevertheless handed him a life sentence. Ahilo was granted 14 days within which to challenge the conviction and sentence through an appeal.
