A Kilifi pastor has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was convicted of defiling his 15-year-old cousin twice and impregnating her.
Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki found that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The offences were committed on different dates between June 2023 and February 2024, when the girl was 15 years old.
The girl, who testified in court at the age of 16 in June 2024, told the court that the accused was her cousin and a pastor at the church where she worshipped.
She said that in mid-2023, the pastor invited her to his home to fast and pray with his wife as part of what he described as spiritual cleansing.
According to her testimony, the pastor later sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the incident.
About two weeks later, she said, he invited her back for another prayer and fasting session, claiming it would prevent her from marrying a non-Christian after completing school, following what he described as a divine vision.
The court heard that she was sexually assaulted for a second time.
Several months later, the girl discovered that she was pregnant. Her mother reported the matter to police, after which the girl was taken to hospital where the pregnancy was confirmed.
A government analyst later presented DNA evidence showing a 99.9 per cent probability that the pastor was the biological father of the child.
In his defence, the pastor initially denied the offence but later admitted having sexual intercourse with the minor. He claimed, however, that he had been coerced and did not know her age.
The magistrate dismissed the defence as baseless and an afterthought and found the pastor guilty of defilement.
The court sentenced him to 30 years in prison and directed him to exercise his right of appeal against the conviction and sentence within 14 days.
