Grim testimonies in Baby Pendo murder case as rape and theft reports emerge
Police officers deployed to contain political violence that erupted in Nyalenda, Kisumu East Sub-County within Kisumu County after the 2017 general elections are now facing reports of raping several women in turns.
According to the charges pressed against four senior police officers, their juniors are accused of forcefully gaining access to victims’ houses. In one incident, they threw tear gas canisters into a house and proceeded to rape the owner in turns.
“On August 12, 2017, police officers under your effective authority and control forcefully gained entry into the house of one victim by lobbing tear gas canisters, assaulted her, and subsequently raped her in turns,” part of the charge sheet reads.
The charge sheet states that on August 4, 2017, the officers broke into another victim’s house by smashing the door, assaulted her using a club and raped her in turns, leaving her writhing in pain.
According to the charge sheet, six other armed police officers stormed another victim’s house on August 11, 2017, beat her and other occupants mercilessly with sticks, robbed her of Ksh2,000, and one of the officers sexually assaulted her by inappropriately touching her.
Raped women
During the same operation, three other police officers on August 12, 2017, under their seniors’ effective authority and control, stormed into another house and demanded to know the whereabouts of her husband. After confirming he was not around, they raped her in turns.
The charge sheet adds that on the same date, four other police officers forcefully gained access to another victim’s house in the Ghorofa Chafu Building. Three of them raped the owner of the house and her friend as the fourth officer watched.
It was also stated that three other officers, on the same date and at the same building, stormed into another house and demanded to know where the man of the house was. They then proceeded to rape the woman they found, in turns, while demanding money from her. They later took Ksh500 from her purse and left.
On the same date, around 11 am, two other police officers stormed another victim’s house at Kilo Junction, inquired about the whereabouts of the man of the house, and then raped the woman they found in turns, leaving her in pain.
The four senior police bosses denied all the charges pressed against them by the Director of Public Prosecutions, and a plea of not guilty was entered by Lady Justice Margaret Muigai at the Milimani High Court.
The accused were each released on a personal bond of Ksh200,000 with strict instructions not to interfere with witnesses.
The case will be mentioned on May 12, 2025, for further directions.
