A university graduate from Maara Constituency in Tharaka Nithi County on Tuesday narrated an alleged painful ordeal at the hands of three kidnappers, including Muthambi Ward Representative Morris Maugu, to the Chuka Magistrate's Court.
The statistician, who was referred to as Mr AKN, told the court that on August 5, 2023, he had spent the day at a wedding and at about 8.30 pm, while talking to his friend Mr Ian Wachira, from a distance, he was struck hard on the left side of his stomach with an object as he entered his house at Old Marima Market and was immediately grabbed by a man who tried to wrestle him down.
While he was struggling with the man he knew well as Martin Murangari alias "Stewart", a neighbour, he saw a vehicle reversing towards where they were and it stopped a few metres from them and another man he later found out was called Phineas Muriuki alias "Waria" got out. The two men then pushed him into a vehicle which belonged to Mr Maugu.
Mr AKN, who worked as a teacher at a school in his village, said the vehicle was then driven away at a very high speed and when it reached New Marima market, it stopped in front of Orient Hotel.
He said he could see from a distance through the windscreen that MCA Maugu was moving towards them and when he arrived, the MCA ordered him to get out of the vehicle and he was severely beaten as he lay on the ground. This attracted the attention of members of the public.
Mr AKN said when people asked why he was being beaten, the three said he had stolen a mobile phone belonging to the MCA and that they were taking him to Marima Police Station, less than a kilometre away.
He said he tried to defend himself against the accusations of theft and begged the people to save him, but he was taken back into the vehicle. The MCA then got behind the wheel while the two men pinned him in the back seat and continued to beat him.
“I feared they would kill me and that is why I pleaded with the people to help me but they did not. I also prayed that they take me to a police station even for the false accusations,” he said Mr AKN.
The vehicle did not go to Marima Police Station but continued towards Chuka town and just after crossing the Nithi Bridge, the vehicle diverted to a hidden place where it stopped and he was taken out and severely beaten again.
He said it was at this point that the MCA revealed that he was being beaten because he had been frequently attacking the ward representative on social media accusing him of non-performance, especially on a Facebook page known as Muthambi Sweet Home.
The complainant said the MCA started squeezing his private parts with an object that looked like a pair of pliers, but he could not see it clearly because the other two jumped on him while he was on the ground screaming.
He said the MCA called some of his (AKN's) friends and told them that he had taken him hostage and that they would not see him again. Mr AKN further claims that the MCA warned his friends they would also face a similar predicament if they continued to criticise him on social media.
“He called one of my friends, Mr Crispus Nyaga, whom I could identify by voice and he gave me the mobile phone so that I could warn him against posting bad things about him on social media. He said politics is an investment and he could not allow anyone to ruin him politically,” he said.
Mr AKN said he had become very weak and could no longer shout loudly and that was when they bundled me back into the vehicle and drove me to Chuka Police Station, about six kilometres away.
At the police station, the MCA went to the report office and a few minutes later he came and explained to the other two that they had been asked to report to a police station within the jurisdiction where the alleged phone theft had taken place.
He said they drove back to the Mitheru police station where they found a female police officer who, after examining him, advised that he should first be taken to hospital. After that, the only thing he remembers is the vehicle leaving the post as he became unconscious.
He said that when he regained consciousness the following day, he found himself lying in a patch of nippy grass planted by the road in Gaaci village in Mumbuni area, a few kilometres from his home.
He said he crawled to the road where he was found by some women who, after talking to him, called a bodaboda driver who took him home.
On arriving home, he said he found worried family members and villagers, but he did not immediately tell them what had happened to him because he was traumatised and afraid of his three attackers.
“I insisted that I should be taken to hospital for treatment because my whole body was in pain but I did not want to disclose what had happened to me, fearing that they would get hold of me and probably kill me,” he said.
However, Mr AKN said the man who witnessed him being abducted at Old Marima market had informed the family and villagers.
He said he was taken to Muthambi Sub-County Hospital but the doctors insisted that he first report to the nearest Marima Police Station before being treated.
Mr AKN said he later went back for treatment and had a P3 form filled at Chuka County Referral Hospital where he also received further treatment.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Kirimi Muturi alleged that the complainant had stolen a phone belonging to the MCA and that he had lied to the court about his abduction and torture.
On September 7, the MCA and the other two defendants denied the charges and were granted Sh100,000 bond each or alternative cash bail of Sh30,000 each.
