Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Slitting Teenage Mother’s Throat After Rejection

A High Court in Mombasa has sentenced 22-year-old Lewis Kazungu Charo to 20 years in prison for the killing of 17-year-old Faridah Changawa in Kilifi after she rejected his sexual advances.

Changawa, a young mother who had recently returned to school, was attacked in June 2025 by Charo, a palm wine tapper employed by her family. Witnesses said she rejected his advances, telling him: “It is my body, so I will give it to whoever I want.” 

Charo then slit her throat and stabbed her in the face with a wine tapper’s knife. She collapsed while trying to escape and died a short distance from her parents’ home.

Charo, who had worked for the family for six months, was arrested soon after the incident. He was initially charged with murder but later entered a plea agreement and admitted to manslaughter. 

In his mitigation, he claimed they had been in a relationship that had broken down because of mistrust. He also described her rejection as “disrespectful”.

Delivering the sentence on 25 November 2025, the court said a life sentence would be excessive for a defendant who had pleaded guilty. However, the judge stressed the need for deterrence because of the increasing number of femicide cases, particularly in marginalised areas such as Kilifi.

Prosecutors asked the court to impose a lengthy custodial sentence, citing Changawa’s age, her role as the mother of an 11-month-old child and the severity of her injuries. They also referred to an earlier case in which she had been defiled at the age of 15 by another man who was later convicted. 

Her family supported the prosecution’s position, stating that her constitutional right to life had been violated regardless of intent. International Justice Mission Kenya, which had supported Changawa’s education after the earlier case, welcomed the ruling. 

The organisation said survivors of sexual violence continue to face risks even after seeking justice. Aggrey Juma, IJM’s Manager for Violence Against Women and Children, said the sentence was an important step towards accountability but could not reverse the loss suffered by Changawa’s family. He called for stronger protection measures for survivors and sustained government action against femicide.