Meru pastor faces charges of defiling faithful in his house
Charles Mwithalii Kobia when he appeared in a Maua court on November 6, 2019 where he was charged with defiling a 16-year-old girl two year ago. PHOTO | CHARLES WANYORO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The clergyman had promised the girl that he would help her raise fees to join a local secondary school.
- The woman said that at one point she dropped out of school and the pastor secured a job for at the Coast.
- During this time, the woman said she constantly chatted with the pastor.
A magistrate’s court in Maua, Meru County has heard how a pastor allegedly defiled his 16-year-old faithful inside his house as his children watched.
The alleged victim, now aged 19, said the pastor, Charles Mwithalii Kobia, had sneaked back to the house in Laare, where she was taking care of the children, and defiled her.
The clergyman had promised the girl, who was a youth group member in the church, that he would help her raise fees to join a local secondary school as her parents could not afford it.
WIFE ABSENT
She told Maua Senior Principal Magistrate Tito Maoga Gesora that the first time the pastor defiled her was on January 16, 2016 and this went on until December 19, 2017.
On the material day, the pastor had ensured that his wife was absent and sent the eldest child on an errand before defiling the victim.
The court heard that the pastor became concerned that the girl could become pregnant and had her fitted with Norplant, a subcutaneous contraceptive.
She said the pastor had given her Sh500 and sent her to a clinic within Laare where the procedure was done.
The woman said that at one point she dropped out of school and the pastor secured a job for at the Coast.
NUDE PHOTOS
During this time, the woman said she constantly chatted with the pastor, who would send her nude pictures and airtime.
However, it emerged that the prosecution did not have a printout of the alleged conversation and sought time to secure the information from Safaricom.
The pastors’ lawyer, Hoseah Mutembei, opposed the application, saying that the prosecution has embarked on a “fishing expedition” since it does not have a solid case.
EVIDENCE
He argued that the prosecution should have collected all the evidence it needed for the case and supplied it so that the accused could prepare his defence.
However, Mr Gesora allowed the prosecution two weeks to seek the data.
The case will continue on January 21, 2020.
The pastor is charged that between January 16, 2016 and December 19, 2017, at Kaelo Centre, Antuambui Location, in Igembe North, Meru County, he defiled the girl.
He faces an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a minor by intentionally touching her private parts.
