Two Kenyan Rugby players convicted of gang raping a female musician last year are expected to be sentenced today.
The sentence was set to handed down last Friday but the court pushed it to today.
On August 8, 2019, Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku found the players Alex Olaba and Frank Wanyama guilty of gang rape.
The Harlequin FC players were charged last year after they reportedly raped a female musician on the night of February 10, 2018 at Seefar Apartments in Highrise, Nairobi.
While postponing the sentencing, the Magistrate directed that the two remain in custody.
The defence laywer Jimmy Wafula Simiyu prayed that the court considers a lenient and non-custodial sentence. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years upon conviction.
Simiyu told the court that the two have no criminal record, they are young and they have a promising career ahead of them.
“It’s been a very depressing period for them, they have been discontinued at their respective universities and have not participated in a single match in their team,” noted Simiyu.
“They are just starting life… they come from humble backgrounds and they have been able to help their families… the first accused has seven siblings while the second accused has four siblings. We pray that you take that into account.”
The prosecution, however, argued that the court should give them a minimum of 15 years as the law states to serve as a lesson to youth who do not take sexual offences seriously.
In their submissions, the prosecution said that there were aggravating circumstances in the case insisting that the complainant suffered in the hands of two men.
“The complainant was intoxicated but there is nowhere the accused persons say they were intoxicated,” noted Prosecution.
