Six former Kenya Navy servicemen sentenced to life impronsonment for disserting job at time of war

The number of former Kenya navy soldiers sentenced to life imprisonment increased Thursday to six a court martial sitting at the Kenya Navy Mtongwe handed similar sentence to a senior private serviceman.

Senior private Alfred Ketole was convicted by a panel of military judges of disserting job at time of war and subsequently handed life sentence.

The panel of officers of the rank of majors and colonel passed the verdict after Judge advocate Elizabeth Usui who is also Kwale principle magistrate summed up the prosecution evidence.

She asked them to determine whether the prosecution case was proven beyond any reasonable doubt, to which the panel approved unanimously and passed the sentence.

Mr Ketole‘s lawyer Michael Mwanyale confirmed the sentence passed days after the same panel sealed the fate of his four other colleagues.

They include Samuel Maingi Malombe, John Mutua Mwewa, Leonard Kighombe and Moses Nyongesa Sumiyu.

Four months ago, lieutenant Jeffery Pepela was sentenced to life imprisonment by another court martial presided over by judge advocate Joyce Gandani who is Mombasa senior principle magistrate.

Mr Pepela has also filed his appeal before the High Court Justice Martin Muya where his lawyers have expressed that he will apply to be released on bond until his appeal is heard and determined.

They were charged of deserting job while in acting service contrary to section 74(a I) as read with section 74(3) (a) (I) of the Kenya Defense Force act 2012.

They were accused of deserting KDF on diverse dates in the year 2007 and joining private America security firms where they were deployed in war torn countries in the Middle East including Iraq, Syrian and Jordan among others.

They were initially charged with deserting KDF contrary to section 74(a I) which ordinary attract two years sentence in jail before the charge sheet was amended.