Former Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel Jailed

Senior Principal Magistrate Hellen Onkwani found him guilty of assault and sentenced him to one year with no alternative to a fine.

“The court has considered that there are many issues of violence in the country and also fact that the accused is a first offender,” she said.

“I note from the mitigation record that the accused is a leader who needs to be a good example to others so I proceed to sentence the accused person to serve one-year imprisonment.”

He however has a right of appeal within 14 days.

It is alleged that Lempurkel on November 21 2016 at Harambee House in Nairobi willfully and unlawfully assaulted Sarah Korere by slapping her on her left cheek.

He is also said to have kicked her on her lower abdomen causing her actual bodily harm.

In a judgment delivered on Friday morning, Onkwani said the prosecution has discharged its duty of proving its case beyond reasonable doubt and found that the accused person is guilty as charged for the offense of assault causing actual bodily harm contrary to section 251 of the penal code.

She dismissed the former legislator’s defense where he said the charges against him were politically motivated ruling that they were an afterthought.

The court also dismissed the claim by Lempurkel’s lawyer that the CCTV did not capture

"The CCTV was at the corridor but the offense was committed in the boardroom and not in the corridor and such the said CCTV would have been immaterial consideration of this case," the court said.

Lempurkel had also alleged that he was a victim of assault and both Korere and the former MP were issued with a P3 form however he did not return him or produce any medical records.

Onkwani said on that issue of him being assaulted both parties had been given an opportunity to present their case but Lempurkel did not avail any medical documents to support his claims.