Security guard jailed 20 years for raping 80-year-old granny

Judge gavel and handcuffs. [Courtesy/GettyImages]

A Naivasha court has jailed a father of two to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of raping an 80-year-old granny two years ago.

Forty-two-year-old Joseph Gitahi, who works as a security guard, committed the offence on the October 13, 2022 in Kinungi village, 15 km from Naivasha town.

The court heard that the convict had, on several occasions, tried to no avail to break in and sexually assault the woman and had been on the community radar for years.

On the fateful night, Gitahi is said to have approached the victim’s homestead, where he dug a hole to gain entry into the house and ambushed the lady around 2 am.

The man is then said to have used the woman’s handcuff to mouth fold and sexually molest her while threatening her with death.

According to Naivasha Chief Magistrate Nathan Lutta, the prosecution, which presented four witnesses, had argued its case beyond a reasonable doubt with evidence adduced in court placing the accused at the centre of the scene.

Lutta said the court had sentenced the accused to 20 years in jail for intentionally sexually assaulting the 80-year-old woman contrary to sections of the Sexual Offences Act (2006).

On her part, the woman lauded the court decision to imprison the man, noting he had tried on several occasions to break into her house, where she lives alone.

She said the man had spent one year in jail after a similar incident in her home, but was abruptly released with no explanation given and would later continue his criminal acts.

According to Father Jude Otogo from the Regional Centre for Healthy Ageing, the conviction sounded a warning to perpetrators of violence and abuse against older persons in the community.

Otogo said for years, the elderly faced multiple incidences of sexual abuse, physical assault and neglect with majority of cases being unreported to authorities for legal actions.

"The sentencing is a welcome move to tens of elderly people who continue to face abuse, violence and neglect in the community and who have been suffering in silence for years," he said

Otogo lauded the Ethel Foundation which continued to offer necessary support to the elderly by ensuring access to justice when their rights were infringed.