Kenya: Supreme Court Upholds Mandatory Sentence for Sexual Offences

Nairobi — The Supreme Court has upheld mandatory minimum sentences under Sexual Offences Act, rejecting the Court of Appeal’s view that it impedes judicial discretion.

This is in a case where the appellate court had earlier scaled down the sentence for Joshua Gichuki Mwangi, man accused of defiling a 15 year old minor.

In its ruling, the apex court faulted the decision by the Court of Appeal and ordered Mwangi to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.

A five judge bench at the apex court…