SIAYA: You can run, but you cannot hide forever. This was the hard lesson learned by Kevin Ondif, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Siaya court this week, finally bringing a three-year quest for justice to a close.

Ondif, who was convicted of defiling a minor and committing indecent acts, had managed to evade police for nearly two years.

The court heard that immediately after the incident on January 1, 2021, the suspect realized he was on the police radar.

When the Investigating Officer, Hosea Kipkoech, began closing in, Ondif vanished from Nyamawanga B village.

It wasn’t until December 29, 2023, when he quietly returned home, that authorities were able to pounce and make the arrest.

Magistrate Jacob Mkala noted that the prosecution, relying on five witnesses, had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The judgment detailed a gruesome attack where the then-14-year-old victim was ambushed by a gang of five, threatened with a knife, and held captive.

Delivering the sentence, Magistrate Mkala stated,

“The State has proved that… the accused violently penetrated her leading to serious genital and emotional injuries.”

Ondif will now commence his two-decade sentence, answering for the crime he tried to outrun.