Court upholds 6-year jail term for attempted murder for ex-Rugby player Olaba

The High Court dealt former Kenya Sevens rugby player Alex Olaba a blow after dismissing his appeal, upholding his six-year prison sentence for attempting to kill a witness in a gang-rape case.

The court ruled that the conviction was properly founded, noting that the conspiracy to commit murder was proven through recorded conversations and a down payment of Sh10,000, with a promise to pay Sh100,000 upon completion of the act.

“I found from the evidence that PW2 met PW3 and discussed the commission of the offence, which had been previously discussed with the appellant. PW3 was a police officer disguised as a hitman,” court noted.

The judge further stated that the trial court had duly considered Olaba’s submissions and mitigation before sentencing.

“The sentence in all counts to run concurrently is fair,” the court concluded.

Olaba was sentenced to six years in jail on May 24, 2023, after he was found guilty of attempting to kill a rape case witness.

In February 2018, Olaba and another suspect, Lawrence Wanyama, were accused of gang raping a woman in Highrise estate, Nairobi.

During their initial trial, both denied the charges, and after the proceedings, they were convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison each.

In June 2020, the two challenged the ruling, however, their rape convictions were quashed, ordering retrials, but before the retrial could be concluded, one of them was arrested in 2021 over allegations of plotting to kill a key witness.

The police officer claimed that Olaba had sought the service of a hitman who ended up being an undercover officer.

In May 2023, Olaba was convicted of threatening a witness and sentenced to six years in prison. He appealed that sentence, arguing there was weak evidence and that the trial court had misapplied the law.

On October 2, 2025, the Nairobi Court set February 9, 2026, as the date for the retrial in a gang rape matter involving Olaba and Wanyama.

Oloba is currently serving his six-year sentence and now faces two legal fronts: a sentence for attempting to eliminate a witness and defending himself in the renewed rape trial in 2026.