A 66-year-old man from Butere in Kakamega County, currently serving a life sentence at Nakuru Main Prison over a defilement conviction, now claims he was wrongly accused in a case he says was orchestrated by close family members.
Francis Sakwa Weyama was jailed in 2015 after a court found him guilty of defiling his 14-year-old daughter. The conviction led to a life sentence under Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act, which imposes harsh penalties for crimes involving minors.
However, more than a decade later, Sakwa maintains his innocence and is awaiting the outcome of an appeal he hopes will overturn the ruling.
According to his account, Sakwa was a businessman and father of six who lived with his family in Nakuru, only travelling to their rural home in Butere during school holidays.
He says the family had a structured routine, where they would only travel upcountry after securing school fees for the next term.
Sakwa claims that tensions in his household began after his wife allegedly made remarks that unsettled him.
He says he consulted two older men for advice, who suggested that either there were underlying family conflicts or that his wife could have been influenced by another relationship. Fearing his marriage was at risk, Sakwa says he married a second wife.
He alleges that this decision strained his relationship with his first wife, who then sought advice from friends.
According to Sakwa, the situation escalated when individuals allegedly colluded with a school attended by his children to fabricate a defilement case involving his Standard Six daughter.
In his version of events, the school reported the matter to police, leading to his arrest in 2015 and subsequent prosecution. Sakwa claims he was not subjected to any medical examination to establish his involvement.
He further questions the medical evidence presented in court, alleging inconsistencies between the doctor who examined the child and the one who testified.
According to the court record as he describes it, medical findings indicated that the minor’s hymen was broken but no sperm was detected.
He also claims the child stated that her clothes were not torn and there were no visible injuries such as bleeding.
Sakwa maintains that he never had the opportunity to be alone with his daughter, citing their daily routine where his wife prepared the children for school before they all left home for their respective activities.
The case has recently resurfaced in public discourse following the circulation of video clips showing Sakwa speaking from prison about his conviction and long incarceration.
The renewed attention has sparked debate, with some members of the public expressing concern over the possibility of wrongful conviction, while others emphasize the seriousness of offences involving minors.
Legal experts caution that such claims require careful examination through the judicial process, particularly at the appellate stage, where evidence and procedure are reviewed in detail.
After spending 11 years in prison, Sakwa says he is now waiting for the court’s decision on his appeal, expressing hope that it will clear his name and secure his release.