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Githurai strip suspects charged with robbery with violence

By VINCENT AGOYA December 10th, 2014 1 min read

The Githurai 44 bus driver and conductor who were arrested after a woman was allegedly stripped and sexually molested inside their vehicle have been charged with robbery with violence and manipulating the complainant’s genitalia without her consent.

Mr Nicholas Chege Mwangi and Mr Meshack Mburu Mwangi denied that on September 19 and 20 at Millennium petrol station at Githurai 44 in Kasarani, with others not before court, robbed a 21-year-old female of her personal effects valued at Sh41,700 before inserting their fingers into her genital organs.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

The prosecution has requested that the complainant’s identity be withheld for the time being and that she be identified only as H.E.W until she testifies in the case that has drawn international attention.

A magistrate overruled an objection by the defence saying to identify the victim would subject her to double jeopardy.

The prosecution also asked the court not to release the suspects on bail “for their own safety due to the public outrage the acts, which was caught on camera and uploaded on the internet, generated”.

However, lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, for the suspects, said it would be a gross violation of their fundamental rights to deny them bail as they remain innocent until proven otherwise.

CRIME SCENE

A determination on the bail application will be made Thursday.

Earlier, the owner of the bus requested the court to release it but the request was rejected after the prosecution said “it remains a crime scene and an exhibit”.

The suspects have been remanded at the Industrial Area remand prison.

Upon conviction, robbery with violence in Kenya carries a mandatory death sentence.

The government has also proposed new laws where anybody convicted of stripping offences would be jailed for 20 years.