Tarcisio Chege Kihia v Republic [2014] KECA 333 (KLR)

INTHE COURT  OF APPEAL

AT NAIROBI

(CORAM: P. KIHARA KARIUKI, KIAGE & MURGOR, JJ.A)

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 89 OF 2014

BETWEEN

TARCISIOCHEGE KIHIA………………..........………………....APPELLANT

AND

REPUBLIC………………………………………….………....RESPONDENT

(An appeal from  a Judgment of the High Court of Kenya at Nairobi  by

(Justice Gitumbi) dated 15th  November, 2013 in

HC. CR. A. 453 OF 2010

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JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

What the  appellant, who is unrepresented by counsel, has lodged in   this   Court   as   foundational  to   his   appeal  to   this   Court   is   a document titled ‘MITIGATION’.

In that document, the  appellant sets  out  satiatim an  account of how  he was convicted of the  offence of indecently assaulting a child contrary  to   Section II  (1)of  the   Sexual  Offences  Actand sentenced to  serve  ten  years  imprisonment.   He  goes  on  to  state that he  was  a first offender who  has  since  embraced the  virtue of respect for the  rule  of law,  has  reformed  and  is deeply remorseful. Moreover, he has while in prison gained technical skills  in the  area  of motor mechanics and  electricals attaining  in  them Grade  4  and  2 qualifications respectively.

The appellant prays  for a non-custodial sentence and craves a second chance to  ease  the  sufferings of his  family by  helping them meet their needs   and  pleads  to  be  rescued from  the   torment of prison.    He  categorically concludes with the  prayer that his “mitigation against the sentence only”succeeds in its entirety.

Prior  to  coming to  this  Court, the  appellant had  preferred a first appeal before the  High  Court at Nairobi.  That appeal was against conviction and sentence. It was heard by Mary  M. Gitumbi J. who,  by a judgment delivered on 15th November 2013  found it to be devoid of merit and dismissed it.

Assuming that  what is  before this  Court  is  an  appeal, for this Court exists for purposes only  of hearing appeals and  matters connected thereto, it would be a second  appeal.  The law  on second appeals to  this  Court  in  criminal matters is  governed by  Section

361of the  Criminal Procedure Code:

“361 (1)A party to an  appeal from  a  subordinate court   may,   subject  to   sub-section  (8)   appeal against a decision of the High  Court in its appellate jurisdiction on  a  matter of  law, and  the  Court of Appeal shall  not hear  an  appeal under this Section

(a) on a matter of fact, and  severity of sentence is a matter of fact; …”

That provision of the  law  is a jurisdictional one.  It is constrictive and  limiting of the  Court’s jurisdiction in  second appeals, limiting  it to matters of law only.

The appeal before us is simply and  exclusively an appeal against sentence,  and   severity  of  sentence at  that.    We  are   bereft  of jurisdiction to entertain it and to interfere with the  sentence imposed by the  trial court and confirmed by the  High Court on first appeal.

Had the  appeal been  against conviction or had there been  any challenge to the  legality of the  sentence, thereby making it a matter of  law, we   might  have been able to  intervene. See,   JOSEPHKIPLIMO -Vs- R[2011]eKLR  (CRIMINAL APPEAL   NO. 416  0F

2010).We  are  without  jurisdiction, and  without  jurisdiction,  we cannot come  to  the  aid  of the  appellant, virtuous though his  ways may  have  become.

Being  of that mind, we do what we must, and accordingly dismiss this  appeal.

Dated and delivered at Nairobi this  10th day of October 2014.

P. KIHARA KARIUKI(P.C.A)

……………………..

JUDGE OF APPEAL

P. O.KIAGE

………….......…….

JUDGE OF APPEAL

A. K.MURGOR

……….....……….

JUDGE OF APPEAL

I certify that this is a

true copy  of the original

DEPUTY REGISTRAR