PREMIUM The Sh15,000 dowry that sparked a legal battle What had begun as a customary marriage quickly evolved into a criminal prosecution. Kilifi 1 hour ago

According to Baya, the complainant later informed her father that she had found a husband, leading to a family meeting where she declared she was 18 years old and had recently celebrated her birthday.

The court further found no evidence of any grudge that would have prompted the complainant to falsely implicate either Baya or her father.

Despite that evidence, the trial court convicted Baya and sentenced him to 10 years in prison for defilement he had committed on July 14, 2023 in Malindi.