MP Proposes Castration Of Men Found Guilty Of Defilement
Aburi argued that some perpetrators even expose victims to diseases, insisting Kenya must adopt tougher measures like countries that prioritise protecting women and children.
Marvin Chege 
Kisii Woman Representative Donya Dorice Aburi has boldly called on the government to consider castrating men accused of defilement as a means of punishment.
Speaking to the press on Monday, November 17, Aburi called for very harsh penalties to be imposed on perpetrators to serve as an example to anyone seeking to prey on minors, expressing worry that this vice could negatively impact the futures of Kenyan girls affected.
"The way I see it, any man who is caught defiling should be castrated because he doesn't do it to one girl only; he defiles here and moves to the next. They amass a count of girls whose futures will be ruined," she urged.
Aburi argued that some perpetrators even expose victims to diseases, insisting Kenya must adopt tougher measures like countries that prioritise protecting women and children.
Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Aburi speaking in a past public event. /DORICE ABURI
The lawmaker further criticised Kenya’s lax attitude toward sexual offences, saying lenient punishments only embolden predators.
"Some of them have diseases. It is so wrong. Look at other countries abroad, they call us and tell us that in those countries, they protect the children more than the parents. They protect the women more than anything. Those governments know that someone cannot even slap you," she continued.
"Here in Kenya we are letting someone defile...it has to be a harsh penalty so that our girls cannot live like this, they have come with their parents who don't even have the capability."
Castration refers to the removal or disabling of a man’s testicles, either through surgery or medication that suppresses testosterone, effectively eliminating the ability to produce sperm. It’s sometimes mentioned in debates on punishment for sexual offences, though it remains a highly controversial and widely disputed practice.
Aburi's call comes as authorities in Kisii County are investigating two deeply concerning cases of defilement, both involving Boda Boda operators who allegedly exploited the trust of the families who employed them.
The first suspect, a 34-year-old rider, is accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl placed in his guardianship, leading to a pregnancy. After a failed abortion attempt, the victim required a premature cesarean section. The infant died hours after delivery, and the girl remains hospitalized.
Simultaneously, a second operator is detained for allegedly impregnating a Grade 9 candidate he was responsible for transporting to school. The two suspects are currently in custody pending court appearances.
In 2023, a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) was arraigned in court on Tuesday, September 26 after he was arrested in connection with the defilement of a 14-year-old minor. The accused, Carlbenz Okonya, representing Bunyala West in the Busia County Assembly, was arraigned before Busia Chief Magistrate Edna Nyaloti.
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.
