By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
8 May 2026 - Garissa High Court on Thursday sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for the murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Borehole 5, Hagadera refugee camp.
In his judgment, Justice John Onyiego handed Shafa Bilal Shaklane 20 years’ imprisonment for killing Safiya Hussein Bilal in November 2025.
The judge noted that he had considered the time the convict had already spent in custody.The convict has 14 days to appeal.
According to the judgment, the pre-sentence report dated 4 May 2026 stated that the accused was not suitable for a non-custodial sentence due to hostility from his family, who are also the victim’s family.
“In mitigation, the accused person pleaded for leniency on grounds that he is a first offender, he is remorseful, he is mentally ill and that the victim was his family relative,” read part of the judgment.
The prosecution, on the other hand, said the accused was not remorseful as he caused the death in a cruel manner by using excessive force and deserved the maximum sentence commensurate with the offence committed.
Justice Onyiego noted that he had considered the circumstances under which the offence was committed, the pre-sentence report, and the mitigation on record.
He added that the accused is a first offender and is remorseful.
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“His own family is bitter with what he did. However, considering the brutal manner in which the complainant was murdered, a deterrent sentence is necessary,” the judge said.
At the time of the incident, Shaklane, who is an uncle to the deceased, a Grade 9 pupil at Borehole 5 Primary School, was staying with her grandmother, who had died the previous year.
After her grandmother’s death, the girl continued living with family members, including the now-convicted uncle.
Police initially arrested four people, including three relatives said to have been involved in concealing the crime.
During the trial, the three agreed to become state witnesses.
Six people, including the younger brother of the deceased, testified in the case, which activists said would serve as a lesson to others.