Nairobi News

A senior Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) officer accused of frequently touched an intern’s breasts within the institution’s premises and forcing her to hug him for a period of five months was charged with sexual harassment contrary to the sexual offences Act of 2006.

The officer, a senior internal auditor, is accused of making unwelcome sexual advances at the victim, who was an intern at the department where he was a senior officer – at Kemri headquarters in Nairobi.

He is reported to have committed the offence on diverse dates between December 2016 and April 2017 during the period the victim was an intern at the internal audit department where he is accused of forcing hugs on her and offering to make her a second wife.

The victim had been offered an internship at the state’s premier medical institution on October 7 2016 and posted to the internal audit department where she was the only female.

In one of the indecent actions, the suspect is said to have found the victim making copies of some documents and allegedly grabbed her breasts.

She later reported the matter to the police in April 2017 and a P3 form was filled.

The victim later lodged a complaint with the Federation of women lawyers (Fida) after she felt the police were dragging investigations and taking long to take action against the suspect.

Investigations were later completed and the suspect arrested.

The suspect denied the charges before senior principal magistrate Derrick Kutto of Kibera law courts.

He was freed on a Sh500,000 bond and an alternative cash bail of Sh100,000.

The case will be mentioned on January 26.