A Nairobi Court has sentenced former Laikipia North Member of Parliament Mathew Lempurkel to one year in jail for assaulting a female colleague in 2016.
While delivering the ruling, Senior Principal Magistrate Hellen Onkwani noted that legislator was found guilty of assaulting current Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere, and jailed him without an option for a fine.
According to the court, Lempurkel knowingly attacked Korere, slapped her left cheek and kicked her lower abdomen thus inflicting bodily harm.
“The court has considered that there are many issues of violence in the country and also fact that the accused is a first offender.
“I note from the mitigation record that accused is a leader who needs to be a good example to others so I proceed to sentence the accused person serve one year imprisonment,” the magistrate was quoted.
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Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere. [Photo: Courtesy]
Lempurkel has been given a 14-day window to appeal the ruling at a higher court in case he feels dissatisfied.
The ruling comes two months after Lempurkel was charged in court for claims of hate speech and inciting violence in Laikipia County.
He pleaded not guilty and was released on a cash bail of Ksh.150,000. The case is still ongoing.
Tiaty MP William Kamket was also arrested over violence in Laikipia, but pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him.
