KWS ranger accused of defiling Class 4 pupil in Lamu
A15-year-old class four pupil was allegedly defiled by a Kenya Wildlife Service ranger in Kiunga, Lamu County.
What you need to know:
- Lamu Haki Africa Gender Rights Officer Zeinab Ahmed demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of the said officer.
- The KWS ranger, however, later informed officers from Kiunga Police Station that he had found the girl in the forest.
A family in Lamu East is seeking justice for their 15-year-old Class Four daughter who was allegedly defiled by a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) ranger in Kiunga.
The girl is said to have spent three days with the officer in a forest within Kiunga. The KWS ranger, however, later informed officers from Kiunga Police Station that he had found the girl in the forest.
Upon interrogation, the girl revealed that the KWS ranger attached to Kiunga KWS camp on the Lamu-Somalia border, had repeatedly defiled her in the forest for three days.
Ms Fatuma Nurie, an activist in Kiunga said: “We're demanding justice for the girl and her family, she has undergone several medical tests which proved that she was defiled,” said Ms Nurie.
Lamu Haki Africa Gender Rights Officer Zeinab Ahmed demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of the said officer.
"We've talked to the girl and her parents about the matter. It seems the officer is trying to take advantage of the poor family to deny them justice. We're appealing to the police to arrest the officer," said Ms Ahmed.
Investigations
Lamu County Police Commander Moses Murithi said investigations are underway. He said the KWS officer will be arrested as soon as investigations are concluded.
“We've received the complaints but investigations are still on. We can't rush to arrest someone unless we have evidence,” said Mr Murithi.
This is not the first time security officers in Lamu are involved in rape and defilement.
In 2018, a 15-year old class four girl was allegedly defiled by a General Service Unit (GSU) officer in Kiunga.
The officer is said to have lured the girl into a house in Kiunga town where he repeatedly defiled her.
The officer is alleged to have paid off Sh20,000 to the girl's parents to silence them.
In 2017, a KWS officer was found in a lodging in Hindi town with a 14-year-old school girl.
The same year, an 80-year-old man raped and infected a nine year old girl with HIV at Saba saba village in Hindi, Lamu west.
Lamu parents and activists have expressed concerns over the rise of illicit sexual relationships between primary school girls and older men in Lamu.
Cases of school dropout due to teenage pregnancies have increased. Abubakar Bilul, a retired army general from Kiunga, blamed poverty for the rise in sexual relations between schoolgirls and security officers in Lamu East.
Mr Bilul said many men lure the girls with money and food.
