Police in Kakamega County rescued a man accused of raping boys from an enraged mob on Wednesday, June 12.
The suspect has been allegedly luring young boys to his home under the pretense of teaching them football, only to sexually abuse them.
The suspect is reported to have been conducting these heinous acts for some time, all while evading the law. Residents claim that he has been terrorising young boys with impunity, exploiting legal loopholes to avoid capture and prosecution.
Residents, speaking to the press, revealed that the suspect has been targeting vulnerable boys who aspire to play football professionally. Promising opportunities in prominent football teams, he would entice the boys to his house, where the alleged abuse occurred.
"He has the convincing power and he is that kind of person who knows the law," said one resident. "He knows how to escape the law. He knows if he is not caught with any exhibits, there is no case."
Another resident added, "He has a house with two rooms, and when children come, they stay in his house under the pretence that they are being taught how to play football. What football is taught inside a house within a minute?"
According to the residents, the suspect has been terrorising boys for a long time, and the law had failed to catch up with him. The residents claimed that he used his knowledge of legal loopholes to avoid prosecution.
The community's frustration reached a boiling point when they caught the suspect and began to beat him. It was at this moment that the police intervened, saving him from the mob's wrath.
The suspect is now expected to be arraigned in court this week, with charges of rape and sodomy potentially leading to a combined sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Residents are demanding accountability from the government, insisting that justice be served for the victims. The alleged actions have left a trail of trauma among the boys he purportedly abused.
Kenyan law is clear on such offences. A person who intentionally commits rape or an indecent act with another within the view of a family member, a child, or a person with mental disabilities is guilty of an offence and is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than ten years.
Additionally, Section 165 of the Constitution on indecent practices between males states, "Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years."
