A court in Garissa has sentenced a 20-year-old man to 20 years in prison on Friday after convicting him of defiling a school-going girl in Fafi Sub-County, in a case that has reignited concern over rising sexual violence against minors in northern Kenya.
The convict, Hussein Shafi Bilali, was found guilty of sexually assaulting Safiya Abdi Bilali in the Hagadera area of Fafi Constituency.
Court proceedings heard that the incident occurred on November 16, 2025, at Borehole 5 in Garissa County. The victim was reportedly a Form Three student preparing for the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) examinations at the time of the assault.
Prosecutors told the court that the accused lured the girl into his house before committing the offence.
The court, after hearing evidence presented by the prosecution and submissions from both sides, handed the accused a 20-year custodial sentence under the Sexual Offences Act.
The judgment has triggered renewed debate on child protection, access to justice for survivors of sexual violence, and the persistent use of informal settlements in criminal cases involving minors.
Defilement remains among the most reported crimes against children in Kenya, according to child rights organizations and law enforcement agencies.
Nominated member of Parliament, Umulkheir Harun, said that although the ruling cannot erase the pain and damage caused, it should serve as a strong warning to others engaging in similar acts online.
She commended the justice system and the courts for handling the matter swiftly and ensuring the case was concluded in good time.
The legislator warned that recording and sharing inappropriate content on social media could attract serious legal consequences, including lengthy jail terms.
She described the growing trend of circulating harmful and immoral online content as a “societal cancer” that must be addressed through guidance and awareness among young people.
Rights groups warn that many cases in remote and marginalised regions remain unreported due to stigma, poverty, fear of retaliation, and pressure on families to settle matters privately through traditional negotiations commonly referred to as “maslah”.
Under the 2010 constitution, however, defilement is a criminal offence that cannot legally be resolved through private agreements or compensation between families.
Activist Zeinab Abdi said continued use of informal settlements in sexual offences involving children undermines justice, emboldens perpetrators, and leaves survivors vulnerable to lifelong trauma.
“It can not be treated as a family dispute that can be negotiated away. It is a criminal offence against a child and against society,” the Garissa-based child protection advocate said following the ruling.
Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act prescribes stiff penalties for defilement depending on the age of the victim.
The law provides life imprisonment where the victim is aged 11 years or younger, a minimum sentence of 20 years where the child is between 12 and 15 years, and not less than 15 years where the victim is aged between 16 and 18 years.
The Act further states that a child cannot legally consent to sexual activity.
The penalties were introduced to deter offenders and strengthen protection for minors amid increasing cases of gender-based violence.
Smiling Child, a local welfare organisation say survivors of defilement often suffer long-term physical, emotional, and psychological consequences.
“Apart from injuries and trauma, many victims experience interrupted education, social stigma, depression, early pregnancies, and isolation from their peers and communities.”
It noted that education stakeholders in Garissa have raised concern over the increasing number of cases involving school-going girls.
The agency warned that sexual violence is becoming a major threat to girls’ education in vulnerable communities.
It has called on women’s rights groups and religious leaders have now called for stronger collaboration between law enforcement agencies, schools, parents, and local administrators to ensure children are protected and offenders prosecuted.