A case involving a violent attack on an elderly woman has finally reached its conclusion after a Naivasha court handed a long prison term to the offender.
The events that led to the conviction date back three years, when an 80-year-old woman living alone in Mwiciringiri, Kinungi, was assaulted in her own home during the night.
The man responsible, Joseph Gitahi, is now set to serve 20 years in prison after the court found him guilty based on strong evidence and clear witness accounts.
The details presented in court showed that Gitahi, a 42-year-old security guard working in Kahawa West, travelled back to his family home in Kinungi shortly after the burial of his father. His family’s home is located close to where the elderly woman lives.
The prosecution explained that the attack was not a sudden act, but something the man had attempted several times before.
Community members had been aware of his worrying behaviour, and the victim confirmed that she had dealt with similar attempts in the past.
During the night of October 13, 2022, at around 2:00 am, Gitahi approached the woman’s homestead and dug a hole to force his way inside the house.
Once he got in, he ambushed her while she was asleep. The court heard that he used her headscarf to cover her mouth so she could not call for help. After assaulting her, he warned her against reporting the matter and fled the scene. However, his attempt to grab a torch before escaping helped the victim see his face clearly, allowing her to identify him. She later informed the Nyumba Kumi area head, and police investigations followed.
The case involved four witnesses, and the prosecution managed to place the accused at the centre of the crime.
Presiding magistrate Nathan Lutta noted that the evidence was strong and met the legal threshold required to convict someone of sexual assault under the Sexual Offences Act of 2006.
He confirmed that the court had no doubt about the man’s actions and therefore sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The convict has been granted 14 days to appeal the sentence if he wishes to do so.
The elderly woman expressed relief after the ruling. She said the sentencing gives her hope that she can finally live peacefully after years of fearing for her safety.
She explained that the man had been arrested before over a similar incident and even spent one year in jail, but was released without any clear explanation, allowing him to return and continue troubling her. This time, she believes justice has taken its full course.
Father Jude Otogo from the Regional Centre for Healthy Ageing welcomed the court’s decision, saying that the conviction sends a strong message to individuals who target older members of the community.
He pointed out that many elderly people face sexual abuse, physical assault and neglect, yet most of these cases never reach the authorities. He added that one in every six elderly people globally has experienced some form of abuse, making the issue serious and widespread.
Father Otogo also criticized the use of informal community processes, often called Kangaroo courts, which handle cases involving violence and abuse against the elderly. He said such processes deny victims proper justice and allow offenders to continue harming vulnerable people. He hopes that this case will encourage more families and communities to report incidents formally so that the elderly can receive the protection they deserve and offenders can face lawful consequences.
