43-year-old man arrested for marrying Form One girl, 15, as second wife

The man was held briefly at Kobodo Police Post and later moved to Ndhiwa Police Station. [iStockphoto]

A 43-year-old man has been arrested in Homa Bay for marrying a Form One girl as a second wife.

The man, who had stayed with the 15-year-old student for three months, was arrested at Oyombe village, Kajwang' sub-location in Ndhiwa Sub-county.

The teenager was a student at a secondary school in Dhiwa and had disappeared from her parents home early January. The parents reported her disappearance and a search for the girl began.

According to Assistant Chief of Kajwang Sub-location Enos Nyawade, the girl was rescued from the man's house after they received a tip-off that the man was secretly living with her as a wife.

"She has been missing for three months. We have been liaising with our informants who gave us a tip off that she was in the suspect's home," Nyawade said.

Police officers from Kobodo Police Post accompanied the assistant chief to the home of the suspect and managed to arrest him.

He was held briefly at Kobodo Police Post and later moved to Ndhiwa Police Station.

Nyawade termed the incident unfortunate and cautioned against preying on schoolgirls as that amounts to violating rights of the children.

He urged residents to unite in the fight against cases of defilement.