A Kilifi court has sentenced a 26-year-old casual labourer to 20 years in prison for the killing of a teenage mother, bringing a grim legal closure to a case that has deepened concerns over violence against young women in Kenya’s coastal region.
The High Court in Mombasa found Lewis Kazungu Charo guilty of murdering 17-year-old Faridah in an attack that prosecutors described as deliberate and brutal. The court heard that the teenager, who was a young mother, died after her throat was slit in November 2024 in circumstances that investigators said pointed to a targeted assault.
“However, the court is alive to the global trend of femicide cases, which is rising at an alarming rate, especially in marginalised areas like Kilifi,” Lady Justice Micheni said in her ruling.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the accused lured the victim before carrying out the fatal attack. Prosecutors relied on witness accounts and forensic leads they said placed him at the scene and linked him directly to the crime.
In delivering the sentence, the trial judge said the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt and described the offence as grave, noting that it involved a vulnerable victim and warranted a lengthy custodial term both as punishment and deterrence.
The ruling comes as communities in Kilifi continue to grapple with rising cases of gender-based violence, particularly affecting teenage girls and young mothers who often face economic hardship, social pressure and limited access to protection services.
Residents who followed the case expressed a mix of relief and pain after the judgment. While some welcomed the conviction as justice served, others said the sentence could not erase the trauma or bring back the young mother whose life was cut short.
“This is a tragedy we will not forget,” said a resident familiar with the family, describing the emotional toll the case has had on the community.
Child protection advocates have repeatedly warned that coastal counties remain vulnerable hotspots for violence against women and girls, calling for stronger prevention systems, improved policing, and better community-level interventions to protect at-risk teenagers.
Police officials have also acknowledged challenges in handling such cases, particularly in rural areas where investigations depend heavily on witness cooperation and timely evidence collection.
The case has reignited debate over how Kenya addresses gender-based violence beyond courtroom convictions, with activists arguing that harsh sentences, while necessary, do not address the underlying social and economic conditions that expose young girls to danger.
For the victim’s family, the ruling marks the end of a painful legal process but not the end of grief. Relatives who attended court sessions throughout the trial have described months of emotional strain as they listened to testimony recounting the final moments of their daughter’s life.