Woman wants man who defiled, killed her daughter, 12, to be given harsher sentence

The defilement and murder convict was sentenced to 25 years in jail on Friday, October 1, 2021. [File, Standard]

A middle-aged woman from Likoni, Mombasa has protested against the 25-year imprisonment of a 40-year-old man who defiled and killed her daughter in 2015.

Pauline Njeri says the sentencing is “lenient”, and wants the convict, Manfred Otieno Odhiambo, to be jailed for life.

Odhiambo was on Friday, October 1 sentenced to 25 years in prison by Mombasa High Court judge Dorah Chepkwony.

“I expected he would be sentenced to life in jail, or even death sentence. I am disappointed that he’s been given a lenient sentence for two capital crimes,” said Njeri.

Odhiambo had been accused of defiling and murdering Njeri’s daughter, who was in Class Seven in 2015.

Justice Chepkwony found him guilty of killing the minor on December 14, 2015 in Likoni.

The judge said the Prosecution put up a strong case implicating Odhiambo in the murder.

Njeri says her daughter was brutally killed by the neighbour, and a harsher sentence would have been issued.

“My child was brilliant. By now, she’d be completing her secondary education,” said Njeri, who is appealing to the Director of Public Prosecutions to challenge the “lenient” punishment imposed on Odhiambo.

State prosecutor Valerie Ongeti had, earlier, asked the court to issue a harsh sentence against the suspect.

“The sentence should be commensurate with the crime that the accused committed,” said Ongeti, arguing the severe punishment would act as a deterrent to others who may think of engaging in a crime of similar nature.

The court heard that Odhiambo lured the girl, who was alone at home, and took her into his house, where he allegedly defiled and thereafter killed her.

The suspect denied committing the offence, saying he was away at work on that day, and that when he returned home in the evening he was informed by neighbours that a child in the estate had been killed.

He said he was shocked to find the girl’s body under his bed, and that he did not know who hid the remains in his bedroom.

“I know nothing about the murder charge levelled against me,” he said.