An assistant chief in Murang'a County has gone into hiding hours after the area security committee ordered his arrest on allegations of defiling a 14-year-old girl.
According to County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo, the administrator has been accused of defiling the minor on January 1, 2023, in Gitweku village.
“He is a wanted man. There is a police report accusing him of the offence and the victim has aptly described him, giving us enough grounds to treat him as a suspect,” Mr Ngumo said.
“The officer has to confront the allegations as an individual outside our employment,” he added.
According to a police report at Kirogo Police Station, the victim alleges that the administrator defiled her inside her aunt's kitchen.
“I had been invited by my aunt for December holidays since my mum is ailing...it was in the kitchen at around 11 pm that the chief, who is a neighbour, defiled me,” her complaint reads.
A police medical analysis form dated January 6 indicated that the minor had been defiled. Neighbours told Nation.Africa that there were plans to have the matter settled out of court.
“It was hectic getting the claims in the right perspective because the girl's family was hesitant (to report the matter),” Mr Ngumo said, adding that he had ordered the Kahuro Sub County Deputy County Commissioner to investigate the matter.
“I received the report that suggested there were enough grounds to treat the matter as criminal and ordered that the administrator be apprehended. We are after him,” Mr Ngumo said.
He cautioned area administrators against covering up sexual offences, especially those touching on minors.
“All cases of defilement should be prosecuted in a court of law,” he said.
The Independent Medical Legal Unit has since released a damning report on how some security officers in the county conspire to deny victims of defilement justice.
“We are pursuing 15 cases of such madness against our girls where the youngest victim is aged 10 years while the oldest is 16 years. After they were sexually assaulted on various dates, their guardians, some officers and suspects negotiated an out-of-court settlement,” said IMLU county coordinator Ms Hannah Maina.
She said the cases are spread over the past two years. “Under the harsh environment of sabotage, we are trying to revive the cases and have them reopened for prosecution,” she said, adding that only a few defilement cases are reported.
“Many defilement cases either go unreported or are settled silently in kangaroo courts,” she said.
