Manhunt Launched For Kenya Forest Service Officer Who Defiled 16-Year-Old Girl

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced that police in Tinderet, Nandi County launched a manhunt for a Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officer who reportedly defiled a 16-year-old girl.

In a statement on Monday, March 18, DCI revealed that the officer reportedly grabbed the girl while she fetched firewood at Kipkurere forest on Sunday, March 17.

It was at this point that the officer had dragged her to his house where he defiled her.

Kenya Forest Service rangers during a past parade. /FILE

"In the report booked at Meteitei Police Station in Tinderet Sub-County, the forest guard identified as Nixon Mwangi is said to have chased away a group of girls from the forest where they were picking fallen wood debris, catching up with the unlucky Form II student from a local school," stated the DCI in part.

The sleuths added that the girls who managed to escape are said to have informed the mother, who sought the help of other Kenya Forest officers in locating the house of the suspect.

When they finally got to it, the suspect is said to have fled leaving behind the victim.

"The girl was rescued and escorted to the hospital for medical attention. Pursuit of the suspect is ongoing," added the DCI.

According to the Sexual Offences Act of Kenya (2006), minors cannot consent to sex, thus any act of sex with a minor is deemed defilement, a strict liability offence, punishable by law.

The Act further states that a person who commits an offence of defilement with a child aged eleven years or less shall upon conviction be sentenced to life imprisonment.

This provision in law was aimed at protecting minors against sexual abuse, especially by adults.

However, today, minors are having sexual relations with each other claiming consent and voluntariness. This is despite the courts maintaining a similar position to the law that a minor cannot consent to sex.

Consensual sex between minors is therefore unlawful.

This has left minors who are caught participating in consensual sex with each other charged with the offence of defilement and subjected to judicial proceedings.