Loitoktok,
Wednesday June 5, 2024
KNA by Kimani Tirus
A pastor from Kimana Township, Loitoktok Sub County is on the run after absconding court in a case where he allegedly defiled an 11-year-old girl.
John Kimani who is out on a Sh200, 000 bond with surety of similar amount attended several court sessions before disappearing.
The man of cloth allegedly committed the offence on diverse dates between November and December 2022 when the victim was residing in his home.
The victim was handed to the pastor by her grandmother who thought he was best suited to live with her as religious leaders are esteemed by the community.
However, the granny told the court that later the minor told her how the pastor used to defile her whenever his wife left home, after which the pastor was arrested and charged with the offence.Initially he attended court sessions whenever required to do so before he went into hiding.
Fruitless efforts to trace the accused who had relocated from Kimana to unknown place landed his surety, Veronica Wangui into a six months imprisonment on November 30, 2023 after she failed severally to produce him in court.
It is after completing her sentence that Wangui realized the accused who was her pastor had relocated elsewhere and sometimes would be spotted in Marsabit town.
During a mention on Monday this week Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu issued a warrant of arrest which has been stayed while the surety was given up to June 10 to produce him in court or else forfeit her vehicle to the state which she used to bail him out.The matter was set for mention on June 10
Courtesy; KNA