Pastor sentenced to 30 years after DNA test links him to cousin’s child

A pastor in Kilifi has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after a court found him guilty of defiling his 15-year-old cousin on two occasions, resulting in her becoming pregnant.

Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki handed down the sentence after finding that prosecutors had proved the case against the pastor beyond reasonable doubt.

The offences were committed on separate dates between June 2023 and February 2024, when the girl was aged 15.

The complainant, who was 16 when she gave evidence in court in June 2024, told the court that the accused was both her cousin and a pastor at the church where she worshipped.

According to her testimony, the pastor initially invited her to take part in fasting and prayers with him and his wife, purportedly for spiritual cleansing.

She told the court that the pastor subsequently defiled her at his home and threatened to kill her if she revealed what had happened.

About two weeks later, the girl said, she was invited back to the pastor’s home for another session of prayers and fasting.

She testified that he told her the religious sessions would prevent her from eventually marrying a non-Christian after completing school, claiming this followed a divine vision.

The court heard that she was defiled for a second time.

Several months later, the girl discovered that she was pregnant. Her mother reported the matter to police, after which the teenager was taken to hospital, where the pregnancy was confirmed.

The case later turned on DNA evidence presented by a government analyst.

The analyst told the court that testing established a 99.9 per cent probability that the pastor was the biological father of the child’s pregnancy.

The pastor initially denied the allegations but later admitted that he had sexual intercourse with the minor.

He nevertheless argued in his defence that he had been coerced and claimed he did not know the girl’s age.

The magistrate rejected the explanation, describing the defence as baseless and an afterthought.

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Mwaniki said the prosecution had established the principal charge of defilement beyond reasonable doubt.

“I find merits in the prosecution’s case on the principal charge of defilement. The accused person is hereby sentenced to serve 30 years imprisonment,” the magistrate ruled.

The court subsequently directed the convict to exercise his right of appeal against both the conviction and sentence within 14 days.

The case highlights the evidential role DNA testing can play in sexual-offence prosecutions, particularly where pregnancy results from an alleged offence and the identity of the biological father is disputed.

Other News: Kanja escapes jail but High Court warns of prison over future roadblock breach