Narok man, 50, to spend the rest of his life in jail for marrying an underage girl

A court has sentenced a 50-year-old man to life in prison after he admitted to having married a 9-year-old minor.

Narok Court Senior Resident Magistrate Ms Phyllis Shinyada found the accused guilty of defiling the girl for three years and impregnating her.

The man was also sentenced to three years in prison for two counts of defilement and marrying the minor.

The accused Saigulu Ololosereka, a resident of Entasekera in Narok South Sub-County was arrested at Narok County Referral Hospital where he had rushed the minor over the weekend for treatment after she developed complications during labour.

Shinyada, while handing down the sentence said the accused did not show any remorse after committing the crime she termed grave and barbaric and he should serve as an example to other people with similar behaviour.

"To send a message to others with similar behaviour, this court has an obligation to protect the interests of the victim who is minor whose life will never be the same again," Shinyada said.

“He has been defiling the child since she was 10 years old or thereabout, therefore with the evidence adduced to this court he is found guilty and will serve life imprisonment for defilement and three years for marrying a minor contrary to the law.”

Shinyada also said the heinous act had a long-term psychological and physical impact because the young girl had female genital mutilation before marrying and later had a caesarian section when giving birth.

Ololosereka while taking a plea on Monday admitted to having married the minor in 2019 when she was only 9 years old as his fourth wife and have since been living together as husband and wife.

The 12-year-old minor is currently recuperating at the hospital after undergoing a Caesarian operation because of a stillbirth.

The court granted Ololosereka his right to appeal the ruling within 14 days according to the law.