Man's 30-year rape sentence stands as High Court rejects his language barrier appeal
The Tanzanian High Court has upheld a 30-year prison sentence for Komanya Makoye, who was convicted of rape. The court rejected his appeal, which claimed he was denied a language interpreter, noting that trial records showed he participated fully in Swahili.
Why it matters
This case highlights the importance of judicial due process and the verification of language accessibility in legal proceedings.
Arusha. Komanya Makoye, who was challenging a 30-year prison sentence for rape on the grounds that the Musoma District Court denied him a Sukuma language interpreter because he did not understand Swahili, has lost his appeal.
High Court Judge Kamazima Kafanabo found that the trial records clearly showed the appellant responded to all charges in Swahili without indicating any difficulty in following the proceedings.
The court observed that Makoye questioned witnesses in Swahili, mounted his defence and answered all questions without any sign that he failed to understand what was happening in court.
High Court Judge Kamazima Kafanabo also rejected Makoye’s assertion that the case stemmed from a debt dispute of Sh2 million between himself and the victim’s father. The judge noted that this defence had been considered by the District Court but raised no reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s evidence linking him to the rape.
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