Driver, conductor held over sexual assault of female passenger
A driver and a conductor of a commuter bus in Nairobi, in which a female passenger was stripped naked and sexually assaulted for hours in the latest shocking case captured on video and uploaded on the internet, have been detained for the next 21 days to help with investigations.
Mr Nicholas Chege Mwangi and Mr Meshack Mburu Mwangi of matatu registration KBT 903R which has been impounded at the Kasarani Police Station are expected to reveal other suspects who are said to be at large.
A Nairobi court was on Friday told that police are investigating various cases of sexual assault and stripping of women in the city and several inquiry files have been opened with a view of arresting and prosecuting perpetrators.
The prosecution also appealed to the victim(s) of harassment, who include a woman who went underground after being assaulted in Kayole, and the one captured being molested in the Githurai Route 44 bus to come forward and record statements as the alledged molesters have so far been arrested.
INCREASE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
“There has been an increase of sexual assault and stripping of ladies which has caused great public apprehension… investigations led to the arrest of the respondents herein on November 27 late evening along Thika Road,” prosecutor Duncan Ondimu told the court.
Separetely, an administration police officer and a male passenger have been charged with attemting to undress a school girl for wearing a short skirt in a passenegr bus. Five people have been also charged obver the stripping and assaulting of a woman in Kayole estate. The case which occured along Tom Mboya street is still being investigated.
Yesterday, the prosecution said that a brief interrogation that police have conducted with Mr Chege and Mr Mburu has made headway but “they are yet to reveal other suspects.” A third suspect is said to have escaped but police are following crucial leads, the court was told.
“The interrogation has further required detailed investigations be carried out especially in regard to the video clip which is in our possession and has been in circulation in various forums,” the prosecutor said. He said the victim in the case is yet to be traced and her current status has not been verified.
INDECENT EXPOSURE
“We do not know whether the victim is still alive… we equally appeal to her to come forward and record a formal statement with the police as her molesters have been so far identified,” Mr Cliff Ombeta who has been appointed by the Law Society of Kenya to represent the victims told the court.
Mr Ombeta also appealed to the person who captured the video to volunteer as a prosecution witness and promised that he or she would be protected or risk being traced for possible charges of indecent exposure.
“The victims in some of these offences that have occurred lately have not come out yet , however suspects have been brought to court,” the lawyer said.
MR Ombeta said that there was a likelihood of other charged being prefered against the suspects caught on camera in the Githurai bus “ as there was some stealing, assault, and damage to property that went on.”
A special police squad codenamed Scorpion has since been formed to deal with the menace.