A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of trafficking and defiling a 16-year-old girl in Kilifi County.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Kilifi Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa convicted Godfrey Memba of defilement contrary to Section 8(1) as read with Section 8(4) of the Sexual offenses Act No. 3 of 2006, and trafficking in persons contrary to Section 3(1) as read with Section 3(5) of the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act No. 8 of 2010.
The court heard that between January 12, 2025 and May 4, 2025, Memba groomed, abducted and sexually exploited the minor after meeting her during a church service on the outskirts of Kilifi town.
Prosecution told the court that Memba met the girl at New Life Church in Mavueni, where he allegedly seduced and groomed her before persuading her to leave her home with his two young children while her grandmother was out of sight.
The ODPP said Memba subsequently transported the girl and the children from Mavueni to Mombasa, where he harbored and cohabited with the minor while repeatedly subjecting her to sexual exploitation.
ALSO READ:
- Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Murder of Wajir Police Officer
- Senior Nairobi Police Officer Arraigned Over Alleged KSh1 Million Extortion Ring
- Two Brothers Jailed 14 Years for Killing Kisumu Teacher
The case came to light after the girl’s family reported her missing at Chasimba Police Station. The matter was escalated to the DCI Kilifi North for investigation.
Prosecution Counsel Ridhwan Mohamed told the court that during the period the girl was missing, her father received text messages demanding money for her return.
Digital profiling established that the phone number used to send the messages was registered to Memba, enabling DCI officers to track him to Repentance and Holiness Church in Mombasa, where he was arrested.
The minor and the children were rescued, while six prosecution witnesses testified during the trial, including the girl, a doctor and the arresting officer.
In his determination, Chief Magistrate Obulutsa found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and established the key legal elements of both offenses.
The court found that Memba has recruited, transported and harbored the minor for sexual and financial exploitation.
On the trafficking charge, the magistrate ruled that Memba used seduction to lure the girl away from her grandmother’s custody before transporting her across counties.
The text messages demanding money were also cited by the court as evidence of financial exploitation.
The magistrate rejected Memba’s defence, describing it as “weak and contradictory” and noting that it did not explain why the missing minor had been found in his company in Mombasa.
The court considered the age of the victim and the aggravated circumstances surrounding the defilement and trafficking offenses during sentencing.
The court granted Memba 14 days to appeal the sentence.
