A 54-year-old senior nurse attached to Maralal County Referral Hospital has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for defiling a 15-year-old girl who had been left under his care.
James Ikonya was sentenced by Maralal Senior Principal Magistrate Gatambia Ndung’u after the court found him guilty of defiling the minor at her mother’s house in Maralal town.
Ikonya, a father of four, had denied the charge when he first appeared in court.
The court heard that the accused was in a romantic relationship with the girl’s mother at the time of the offence.
According to evidence presented in court, the offence occurred on May 23, 2025, after Ikonya was entrusted with taking care of three children belonging to his lover while she travelled out of town.
The court heard that at about 3:30 a.m., Ikonya sneaked into the children’s bedroom while they were asleep and defiled the minor. He subsequently threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident.
The ordeal came to light the following day after the girl’s mother returned home and noticed that her daughter was having difficulty walking.
When questioned, the minor broke down and disclosed what had happened.
During mitigation, Ikonya pleaded for leniency, saying he was the sole breadwinner for his family.
However, Magistrate Ndung’u said the offence was grave and amounted to a serious breach of trust because Ikonya had been entrusted with the safety and well-being of the children.
“The prosecution has proved its case to the required standard. The victim was a vulnerable child entrusted to you,” Ndung’u said while handing down the sentence.
The magistrate sentenced Ikonya to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The court granted him 14 days within which to appeal against the conviction and sentence.
By Robert Githu
