Judiciary says Lydia Achieng' was rightfully convicted

Judiciary explains why Lydia Achieng' was jailed for 10 years

Mumbi Mutuko

January 30, 2019 8:51 AM

Why Lydia Achieng' was imprisoned

Lydia Achieng, the woman who claims she was wrongfully jailed 10 years ago over defilement

The Judiciary said that the case of Lydia Achieng, the woman who claims she was wrongfully jailed 10 years ago over defilement was in accordance with the law.

Catherine Wambui, the Judiciary’s Public Affairs & Communication Deputy Director maintained that Achieng' went through a full trial after she was charged with defilement.

Lydia Achieng, the woman who claims she was wrongfully jailed 10 years ago over defilement Pulse Live Kenya

According to Ms Wambui, the State called four witnesses including the 13-year-old minor who was the victim.

Defilement

"It was established that Lydia lured the boy into having sex with her on three different occasions between August and September 2010,” Ms Wambui stated.

Achieng' was convicted accordingly and sentenced to serve 10 years imprisonment after the trial, according to Ms Wambui.

The magistrate, D.O. Onyango observed that: "I find that the accused took advantage of prosecution witness 1’s (the young boy) age and mind in order to achieve her selfish motives."

He added: "She not only touched him inappropriately in a manner which was obviously indecent but went on and had sex with him.”

Sentencing

Ms Wambui further stated that the Judiciary has a responsibility to apply the law and ensure those adults who sexually prey on minors are duly punished.

She pointed out that Ms Achieng only appealed against the sentence and not the conviction.

Lydia Achieng, the woman who claims she was wrongfully jailed 10 years ago over defilement Pulse Live Kenya

Ms Achieng's appeal, according to Ms Wambui, was not only dismissed, but the judge observed that the former was lucky not to get more years in jail as the State did not intimate that it desired to have the sentence heightened.

The plight of Achieng, who is currently imprisoned at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison emerged during an interview with Inooro TV prompting the intervention of the DPP.

Mumbi Mutuko