Man jailed 20 years for raping 80-year-old granny
A Naivasha Court has sentenced a 42-year-old man to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting an 80-year-old woman in her home three years ago. Joseph Gitahi was convicted of raping the elderly woman at her residence in Mwiciringiri, Kinungi, after he broke in during the early hours of October 13, 2022.
Gitahi, who works as a security guard in Kahawa West, Kiambu County, committed this terrible act just two days after burying his father at their family home in Kinungi, which is close to the victim’s property.
The court was informed that the convict had repeatedly attempted to break into the woman’s home and sexually assault her, making him a known figure in the community for years.
On that tragic night, Gitahi allegedly approached the victim’s home, where he dug a hole to sneak inside and ambushed her while she was fast asleep at 2:00 am.
Reports say he used the woman’s headscarf to gag her, then sexually assaulted her, threatening to kill her if she told anyone about the incident before vanishing into the night.
Presiding magistrate Nathan Lutta noted that the prosecution brought forward four witnesses and convincingly argued their case, presenting evidence that placed the accused right at the scene.
Lutta announced that the court had sentenced the man to 20 years in prison for the sexual assault of the 80-year-old woman, in violation of the Sexual Offences Act (2006).
The court also allowed the convict 14 days to file an appeal.
The victim expressed her gratitude for the court’s decision to imprison the man for two decades, sharing that he had previously attempted to break into her home multiple times while she lived alone.
She recounted that he had spent a year in jail for a similar crime against her but was released without any explanation, only to continue his criminal behavior.
She mentioned that his attempt to grab a flashlight after the assault revealed his face, prompting her to report the incident to the local Nyumba Kumi leader before the police launched a more thorough investigation.
Father Jude Otogo from the Regional Centre for Healthy Ageing remarked that this conviction serves as a warning to those who commit violence and highlights the vulnerability of older individuals in the community.
Otogo pointed out that for years, the elderly have been subjected to numerous instances of sexual abuse, physical violence, and neglect, with many cases going unreported to the authorities for legal action.
“The sentencing is a welcome move to tens of elderly people who continue to face abuse, violence and neglect in the community and who have been suffering in silence for years with their abusers going scot free,” said Father Otogo.
He expressed his deep concern that in Kenya and around the globe, one in every six older individuals has faced some form of abuse—be it physical, sexual, or even just neglect and violence within their own communities.
He also highlighted the importance of local solutions, like Kangaroo courts, for addressing cases of abuse and violence against older people, pointing out that this approach often limits fair access to justice for those who are truly vulnerable.
Man jailed 20 years for raping 80-year-old granny
