David Ndumba v Republic [2013] eKLR
his condition from understanding the questions put to him and giving rational answers to them.”
Based on the foregoing we concur with the following findings by the High Court:“At page 2 of the judgment of the learned trial magistrate who took the evidence of the two
witnesses, and therefore had the occasion to determine the level of the understanding of these
two witnesses observed:
‘The complainant testified before me. The court could not gauge the extent of her mental illness.
But she was fairly comprehensible.’
From the foregoing statement, the learned trial magistrate after observing the complainant, and
considering the answers she gave to the questions put to her at the trial, formed the opinion that
she understood the questions and gave rational answers to those questions, and therefore she
was comprehensible. I am satisfied that the complainant was a competent witness and that her
evidence was comprehensible and therefore should be considered.”
We therefore, find no reason to interfere with the concurrent finding of facts by the two lower courts on
the competency of F.
16. We find that despite the medical evidence showing that the appellant did not suffer from the
same sexual transmitted infection as F did not in any way exonerate him .This is because we are
of the considered view that the evidence of F was corroborated by George who found the
appellant red handed having sexual intercourse with F. Grace also testified that when she found
F in the kitchen she was fidgeting and was pulling on her clothes and that F told her that the
appellant had raped her. Further, medical evidence which clearly showed that F had had sexual
intercourse. We concur with the two lower court’s that there was overwhelming evidence that the
appellant had sexual intercourse with F who lacked the necessary mental capacity to grant her
consent.
17. The appellant argued that the charge sheet was defective for including Section 7 of the Sexual
Offences Act which was not applicable in this case. We agree that the offence was not
committed within the view of a family member, a child or a person with mental disability and
therefore the particular section was not applicable. However, we are of the view that the inclusion
of the said section is curable under Section 385 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Furthermore
we find that the appellant was aware of the nature of the offence he was charged with and he
suffered no prejudice. Therefore, this ground fails.
18. Having perused the record we cannot help but note that the appellant’s defence was considered
by the trial court which found that there was no reason for Grace and Geoffrey to give false
testimony against him. On the issue of the alternative charge we find that nothing turns on the
fact that the trial court did not make a pronouncement on the same. In M.B.O. –vs- Republic, –
Criminal Appeal No. 342 of 2008, this Court held,
‘The practice of charging offences in the alternative is one of abundant caution and that is why
no finding is made on such charge once there is ample evidence to support the main charge.’
19. Lastly, we wish to consider whether enhancement of the appellant’s sentence by the High Court
was legal. The principles upon which an appellate Court will act in exercising its discretion to
review or alter a sentence imposed by the trial court have been firmly settled as far back as 1954,
in the case of Ogolla s/o Owuor, (1954) EACA 270 wherein the predecessor of this court stated:
http://www.kenyalaw.org - Page 5/7