A principal was on Thursday found guilty by Wajir Law Courts of defiling a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidate.
Wajir senior resident magistrate Munene Nyaga in his ruling sentenced Idle Abdi Haret, the principal of Habaswein Mixed Secondary School to serve 10 years in prison.
In the case, Haret was accused of defiling the candidate in November 2018 a crime that he committed in Habaswein town.
The form four candidate told the court that two days before doing her KCSE exams the principal on the material date called her to inform her that the candidates will be revising at a different location.
Media reports indicate that the girl said the accused person who was in his vehicle told her that in preparation of the national exams the girls and boys have been separated and that the girls will be revising in a private room.
The court heard that the principal offered to give the complainant a lift in his vehicle to the centre where the candidates will be revising.
The girl accepted the lift but the principal headed towards Habaswein town at a different location where he took advantage of the girl.
“Along the way, the teacher diverted to a lonely place in Habaswein town where he sexually assaulted me,” she said.
Eight witnesses were presented to testify in court by the prosecution to prove that the accused committed the heinous act on the girl.
The accused person through his lawyer pleaded with the court to give his client lenient sentence arguing that he was a first-time offender.
Magistrate Munene Nyaga in his ruling said that the prosecution proved its case and that the court had considered his plea for leniency.
Magistrate Nyaga while sentencing him to serve 10 years in prison noted that the cases of sexual assault are on the rise in the region.
The magistrate gave him 14 days to appeal the court ruling.