Kenyan Student Charged in US With Violent Sexual Assault, Faces Up to 30 Years

Nineteen-year-old Brian Muinde Kimithi has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Minnesota, an offence that carries a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

According to a criminal complaint, Kimithi is accused of violently assaulting a woman in St Joseph. The woman reported waking to find him raping her and said he ignored her pleas to stop. She alleged that he strangled her when she tried to call for help, leaving her with throat pain and difficulty swallowing. 

Police documented visible injuries, including scratches and bruises on her neck, chest, stomach, and shoulder. Kimithi, a former student at St John’s University in Collegeville, appeared before Stearns County Judge William Cashman. 

Bail was set at $400,000 without conditions, or $200,000 with restrictions that prevent him from leaving Minnesota or contacting the complainant. He is being held at Stearns County Jail, with an omnibus hearing scheduled for 23 February 2026.

St John’s University confirmed that Kimithi has been deregistered and removed from its Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programme. In a letter to students and families, University President Brian Bruess stated that Kimithi is no longer enrolled.