Leaders condemn alleged rape of Mumoni market cleaner by police

The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is investigating an incident where a police officer in Mumoni is alleged to have sexually assaulted a county government employee.

A signpost showing the direction of Mumoni Police Station.

 Kitui County police commander Leah Kithei told MWINGI TIMES that she instructed Mumoni Sub County police commander Morris Gudha to open a file over the alleged rape. Officers from IPOA are expected in Mumoni police station tomorrow to look into the matter.

A Kitui County market cleaner lost her goat at Mumoni shopping centre in Mwingi North. Upon searching for it, she found it was inside Mumoni police station. Since she did not find any police officer in the station when she visited the station to look for her lost goat. She took it and went home.

The incident occurred on September 23 which is more than 14 days ago. Local leaders have demanded immediate action against the police who allegedly sexually assaulted his victim.

When the police recovered the goat in the afternoon of September 23, they asked her to report to Mumoni police station to identify the goat. The county employee was locked up at Mumoni police station cells where it is alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a police officer.

Mumoni Sub County police commander Morris Gudha avoided responding to our enquiries when we reached him.

Mumoni MCA Titus Kasinga and ex-councillor of the area Kimanzi Wandusya called on police to speed up the investigations into the alleged assault.

Former civic leader Wandusya told MWINGI TIMES that when the County Government of Kitui market cleaner lost her goat, that is when the problems bedevilling her started.

Wandusya said that since the market cleaner found the police station unmanned, she took her goat from the compound. This, he said, was without permission from the police.

The former councillor said that on the evening of September 23, police arrested her and accused her of “stealing police exhibit”. That is when some police officer pounced on her allegedly raping her in the night, said ex-Councillor Wandusya.

Kitui County Executive Committee Member for Gender and Social Services Hellena Ken said her office was working closely with the National Gender and Equality Commission over the alleged crime.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT