An Eldoret court has sentenced a man to three years in prison for assaulting the family house-help who “prayed for too long” and delayed to open the door as he returned home in a drunken stupor last month.
Dan Okinda admitted assaulting Ms Jacinta Atieno in Annex Estate, Eldoret town, on May 28 and blamed it on “the devil of alcohol”.
Senior Principal Magistrate Onkoba Mogire heard that Okinda came home drunk at 7pm and found his mother and their house-help deep in prayers. His efforts to cut short the session were futile.
Okinda, 42, stayed in the cold for more than an hour, until the two concluded their prayers at 8pm. When the door was finally opened, an angry Okinda attacked Ms Atieno – whom she accused of failing in her duties – and broke one of her teeth.
Asked the court for forgiveness
His mother, Ms Rachael Okinda, 62, tried to stop him but she was too weak. The incident was reported at Naiberi Police Station in Kapseret Sub-County, on the outskirts of Eldoret town.
Okinda told Mr Mogire that he regretted attacking the house-help who had, interestingly, joined his mother to pray for him to overcome alcoholism. He asked the court for forgiveness.
“I did what I did while under the influence of alcohol, since on the material day, I had overindulged in alcohol and I did not know what I was doing. Please forgive me,” he said.
The magistrate told him that he is a grown man who should have moved out of the family home long ago to start his own.
Okinda, however, told the court that he has learned his lesson the hard way and was willing to transform and get married so as to become independent instead of being a nuisance to his mother and family.
“I have heard your mitigation and for you to learn your lesson well, this court has sentenced you to serve a jail term of three years. You have a right of appeal in the next 14 days,” ruled the magistrate. BY DAILY NATION