Baby Sagini suspect sentenced 40 years in jail

Baby Sagini finally got justice after a court in Kisii handed sentences to the three accused who were found guilty of conspiring to cause harm by gouging out the eyes of the three-year-old boy late last year.
The primary culprit, 27-year-old Alex Ochoga, will spend 40 years in prison for gouging out the infant’s eyes. Both the second accused, Pacifica Nyakerario, 51, the minor’s aunt, and the third accused, Rael Nyakerario, 80, the victim’s grandmother, will serve 10 and five years in prison, respectively. The three were accused of inflicting serious injury on Brighton Sagini, a three-year-old who has been known as Baby Sagini in court documents since the case got underway. 
The second and third accused were aiders in the crime, according to Kisii Resident Magistrate Christine Ongweno, who sentenced the three. “This was a life-altering experience for the community as well as the family. This is a fact that cannot be changed. Due to the three’s acts, he will never see.” According to the magistrate, such an incidence has never been reported. The youngster is not only blind, but also is missing both of his eyes, so there are aggravating circumstances in this case.
According to the magistrate, the sentence will facilitate rehabilitation, serve as a deterrent to similar behavior, and safeguard the neighborhood and family from offenders. “Not only will this benefit Baby Sagini, but also any other youngster growing up in such conditions. Deterrence is required,” the magistrate added. It was claimed that between 13 December, 2022 and 14 December, 2022 in the Ikuruma Location in the Marani Sub County, the three accused conspired to commit a terrible act by unlawfully gouging out Baby Sagini’s eyes.
The three defendants were later detained and charged with causing great bodily harm to the infant in violation of section 234 of the Penal Code at their arraignment on 23 December, 2022. On the afternoon of 14 December, 2022, a baby Sagini was discovered lying inside the homestead with his eyes gouged out. Before the sentencing, prosecution attorney Hillary Kaino urged the magistrate to impose a term that would reflect the seriousness of the crime.
“The defendants should receive the punishment they deserve as the foundation of the sentencing. Let’s penalize the offense and prevent similar occurrences in the future. The community should be informed of the consequences of such offenses. He asserted that the suspects had abused the authority that was granted to them. They ended up playing a major role in Baby Sagini’s eyes being gouged. Maureen Nyaboke Matunda gave birth to a baby named Sagini. The child’s sister is a six-year-old female minor. Thomas Ongaga, who is not the biological father of the two minor children, was Maureen’s husband. There are no biological offspring born to Maureen and Thomas.
After meeting in 2015, they parted ways on 30 June, 2016. After Maureen gave birth to the two kids from a different relationship, they were reunited in 2019. Rael looked after Maureen’s children when she relocated to Nakuru where she was employed as a shop attendant. Ongweno stated in her decision from last week: “This was a case tainted with various obstacles. The victim was a young child. During the course of the offense, the victim lost his or her sight. This crime was perpetrated in a family environment and on family property. 
According to the magistrate, when the owner of the house withdrew, well aware of the extent of the devastation she left behind, the three accused put the boy inside a gunny bag and placed him under a bed in a filthy and inadequately ventilated room where he may have spent the night. He was discovered later that day, with his garments torn, his face covered in blood, and his eyes missing, adjacent to his cousin’s property.
Baby Sagini’s eyes were sunken, and the eyelids were dark, according to Daniel Nyameino, a senior physician at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, who testified in court. Based on their nature, he believed that more than one individual was not responsible for the child’s injuries. “The eyes were taken out but not broken.” Evans Wesonga, the Marani Criminal Investigations Officer, testified before the court that the community’s opinion of the family made it challenging to record witness accounts.