Kenya Assents to the Sexual Offences Bill |
July 15, 2006 |
By ANDnetwork .com |
President Mwai Kibaki has signed into law the
Sexual Offences Bill. The law will provide tougher penalties for rape and
other sex-related crimes. |
The law, which is expected to come into effect after its gazettement, will criminalise deliberate transmission of HIV/Aids and will provide rape victims with free medical care and counselling in public institutions. It also broadens the range of sex crimes to include gang rape, sexual harassment, child trafficking, sex tourism, rape, incest and wrongful accusation. Convicted rapists will now attract a minimum sentence of ten years while a maximum penalty will be life imprisonment. Penalty for deliberate transmission of HIV/Aids will be a prison term of at least 15 years. The President also assented to the Retirement Benefits (Amendment Act) that streamline the management of retirement schemes. The Standard __________________________________________________________________ |