A 24-year-old man was on Tuesday June 4 sentenced to seven years in jail after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in a statement said the suspect attacked a police officer who was on duty in May and caused him harm.
“Kakamega Principal magistrate Hon. J. J. Masiga has today sentenced a 24-year old man to 7 years imprisonment for willfully assaulting a police officer in Kakamega contrary to section 103(a) of the National Police Act.
“The accused person, Tyson Kayesi, is reported to have assaulted a police officer in the month of May 2024 while on official duty causing him harm as per the P3 form produced in court,” the statement read in part.
According to ODPP, the accused who had appeared before the court twice before, had refused to take plea but finally pleaded guilty to all charges.
During the trial, the prosecution counsel Moraa Atandi submitted that the court uphold the minimum sentence as prescribed by the law.
In delivering the judgment, the Magistrate noted that the offense of assaulting police officers is becoming rampant nationwide and therefore a custodial sentence is the most suitable for purposes of deterrence to the community and for any person intending to commit that offense.
The ruling comes at a time when 19-year-old Ian Njoroge who was caught on camera beating up a police officer is in custody.
The suspect is set to be charged with robbery with violence contrary to section 269(2) of the penal code, grievous harm contrary to section 234 of the penal code, and resisting arrest contrary to section 253(b) of the penal code.
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