- Wangu assistant chief in Kahuro sub-county is accused of having defiled a 14-year-old girl from Gitweku village on January 1.
- According to a family member who sought anonymity, the girl who hails from the Kahatia area had been sent by her mother to live with her aunt who is mentally challenged during the December holidays.
Image: Alice Waithera
@Alicewangechi
Police in Murang’a are investigating an assistant chief accused of defiling a minor.
Wangu assistant chief in Kahuro sub-county is accused of having defiled a 14-year-old girl from Gitweku village on January 1.
According to a family member who sought anonymity, the girl who hails from the Kahatia area had been sent by her mother to live with her aunt who is mentally challenged during the December holidays.
The family member said the assistant chief who lives nearby found a way of getting her aunt’s mobile phone number that he used to lure her, saying that the chief defiled her in her aunt’s kitchen at 11 pm.
A P3 form issued to the girl at Kirogo police station on January 6 indicated that she was molested by a person well known to her at night.
The report however indicated that she had no tears and no pus cells in her private parts but noted that time had lapsed for her to be put on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) that protects those exposed to HIV from contracting the virus.
The source expressed concerns over plans to have the case settled out of court which she said would disadvantage the girl.
“We’re suspecting that the assistant chief used village elders to convince her parents to settle the matter out of court,” the source said, adding that the assistant chief should be sternly punished to serve as a lesson.
County commissioner Karuku Ngumo confirmed having received information on the allegations.
Karuku said he immediately liaised with the local deputy county commissioner and instructed him to form a committee to investigate the matter and forward him the report.
Once he received the report, Karuku said he wrote to the County Criminal Investigations officer asking him to institute a criminal investigation on the matter and submit a report by Friday.
“I want to handle the matter both criminally and administratively because if he slept with a minor, it’s a criminal offence but also administratively, action has to be taken against him,” Karuku said.
He said the CCIO’s report will inform the action that will be taken against the administrator as it will determine whether he is culpable.
Image: Alice Waithera
The County Commissioner warned administrators against mishandling sexual offences cases, especially those that involve minors.
“Whether it is a chief or assistant chief, we have trained them that sexual offences and especially defilement are serious offences legally. No administrator should allow such a case to be handled out of court, especially where it concerns children,” he reiterated.
He said the public has a lot of faith in administrators and that they should not take advantage of their authority to be involved in such cases.
Once a chief receives such a case, Karuku said, they should inform their seniors and the matter handed over to the police.
The chiefs should then follow up on the case to ensure the suspects are prosecuted.
“If this assistant chief is found to be at fault, severe action will be taken against him."
He however confirmed that some members of the family intended to have the matter settled out of court before he got wind of the matter and ordered an investigation.
It is said that the girl has had a long-standing relationship with the chief and that they have been meeting every time the girl visits her aunt during holidays.
The County Commissioner urged residents to ensure they promptly report such incidents, noting that each police station in the county has a gender desk tasked with handling such issues.
“We have not managed to open gender desks in police posts as we have not had enough personnel but all police stations have such desks where residents can report issues to do with gender,” he added.
Murang’a County has been grappling with issues of defilement that includes incest that has seen many young girls become teen mothers, with many stakeholders accusing administrators of abetting the vice by allowing suspects to walk free through out-of-court settlements.