A court in Nakuru has sentenced a 20-year-old woman to 20 years in prison after she was found guilty of defilement, a case that has attracted widespread public attention and divided opinion across the country.
Mercy Mwende, who comes from Sotik in Bomet County, sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams in 2022 and achieved a grade of C plus.After completing school, she reportedly looked forward to building her future, but her life took a different turn following events that began online.
According to court details, Mwende connected with a young man on Facebook shortly after her exams.
The two maintained an online relationship for several weeks.
In early 2023, she travelled to Elburgon in Nakuru County together with a friend for a back-to-school-themed photoshoot, where she met the man in person for the first time.
After the photoshoot, the two women were unable to find transport back home and missed the last available matatu.
The young man then offered them a place to stay at his family home, assuring them they would travel the following morning. They agreed and spent the night there.The following morning, the man left early for work at a family business.
Shortly after, an incident occurred in the home that led to alarm being raised by the family’s grandmother, who accused the visitors of having inappropriate contact with the man’s younger brother, a Form Four student.
One of the women allegedly assaulted the grandmother and fled the scene, while Mwende remained behind and was arrested.
The minor was later examined, and medical findings indicated that sexual contact had taken place.
Both women were initially charged with gang rape and defilement.
An attempt to resolve the matter outside court reportedly saw the families pay the grandmother 50,000 shillings for the assault.
However, further financial demands were allegedly made, rising to 100,000 and later 300,000 shillings, before negotiations collapsed.
During the trial, Mwende’s co-accused was acquitted and released. Mwende was found guilty and sentenced in April 2025 to 20 years in prison.
Her family maintains that she was caught in unfortunate circumstances that escalated beyond her control.
The case has since sparked public discussion on social media, with many questioning whether justice was fairly served or whether her conviction was influenced by circumstances surrounding the case.