A man who murdered a 15-year-old girl after she rejected her sexual advances has been slapped with a 25-year jail term.
Justice Grace Nzioki sitting at the Naivasha Law Courts convicted Fredrick Mwonjoria for this crime committed six years ago when he was a student at Nanyuki High School, aged 17.
Prosecution, led by Counsel Shirley Chepkonga, presented 12 witnesses and established the accused and deceased were neighbours, with the deceased frequently seeking academic assistance from him.
On the material day, she went to his home for help with school assignments but never returned, prompting her parents to search for her in vain.
The following day, her body was discovered along a road, where her father later identified her remains.
A prosecution witness testified that the accused eventually confessed to the murder, stating that he had invited the deceased for revision and, in the process, propositioned her.
When she declined, a struggle ensued.
The deceased overpowered him and attempted to escape, but he stabbed her in the back.
As she bled on the sofa, he panicked and moved her to the bedroom, where she remained in pain.
Upon realizing she was unconscious, he stabbed her further in the face, chest, and back.
During sentencing, the accused’s advocate pleaded with the court to treat him as a child and sentence him under the Children Act 2022.
However, Prosecution vehemently opposed the plea, arguing the convict was no longer a minor and therefore ineligible.
They urged the court to impose a retributive and deterrent sentence due to the aggravating circumstances.
Pursuant to legal provisions and judicial precedents, the prosecution successfully proved the elements of murder beyond reasonable doubt, including the occurrence of death, the act of the accused, and malice aforethought.
