It is 15 years for man who defiled teen at Kapenguria District Hospital

April 25, 2010, will remain a traumatic date for 16-year-old Esther Chelimo (not her real name) who was caring for her younger sibling admitted at Kapenguria District Hospital.

Chelimo had to stay overnight at the hospital for several nights to take care of the child and it was then she noticed Paul Lokitari appeared to have taken a keen interest in her.

Lokitari, a member of staff at the hospital, would constantly check on the young girl and had even made sexual advances at Chelimo which she had thwarted successfully.

However on April 25 at around 8pm, Lokitari came into the hospital room where Chelimo and her sibling were sleeping and grabbed her by the hand then forcefully led her outside to the corridor. He then proceeded to defile her before warning her not to tell anyone what had happened.

The following day, Chelimo’s sibling was discharged from hospital and she left for home without telling anyone about the attack. Six months later, while in school, Chelimo’s teacher noticed she was pregnant and it was only after she was confronted that she told of her ordeal at the hospital.

Chelimo’s mother reported the matter to police and Lokitari was arrested on October 29, 2010 charged with defiling a minor.

The next day, Chelimo was taken to Kapenguria District Hospital where clinical officer Jeremiah Kipsang confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.

Appearing before the trial judge, Lokitari denied all charges. He also said he was a farmer, not a member of staff at the hospital, and that he knew nothing about the defilement accusations being leveled against him.

The trial magistrate found that Chelimo was able to identify Lokitari because he had approached her earlier and because security lights on the corridor were on during the hospital attack. The trial came to an end on August 17, 2011.

Lokitari was found guilty of defilement and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Unhappy with the verdict, Lokitari appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal in Eldoret.

Giving their verdict on April 29, 2016 Justices David Maranga, Agnes Murgo and Stephen Kairu dismissed his appeal and upheld the lower court’s ruling.