Taxi driver in Kenyan MP rape saga speaks out

NAIROBI: A taxi driver has spoken out about events he witnessed on Saturday night when a woman, who has accused an MP of raping her, frantically pleaded with him to ferry her to her car.

The married journalist who has accused Imenti Central MP Gideon Mwiti of raping her was terrified after escaping from the legislator’s office, where she was allegedly assaulted, the taxi driver recalled Wednesday.

“She ran to my car as if someone was after her life. Her blouse and skirt were torn and she looked very disturbed and traumatised,” said the driver who had parked at the entrance of Woodvale Grove. He said it was past 1am when he rescued the distraught woman. “She kept crying and told me that she risked her life if we didn’t get away as fast as possible from the scene of the crime," the man told The Standard in an interview.

He declined to reveal his identity because he fears for his life following the publicity the matter has attracted. He has since recorded a statement with the police.

The taxi driver was the first witness to meet the victim after she was allegedly raped in the MP's office located next to Club Mollys, a popular joint in Westlands. "The woman rushed to my car as if she was escaping from death," said the taxi driver who has since gone underground fearing for his life. She begged me to take to her the Jacaranda Hotel near Pizza Garden where she had parked her car," he said.

"She explained that the person who had raped her was a powerful MP and that he had bodyguards who could even kill her. She pleaded with me to drive as fast as possible from the scene," he narrated.

"However, there was a traffic snarl-up on the road. During this time, she cried uncontrollably in the car. She kept looking out the window to check if we were being followed. She also cursed men in general over what had happened to her."

According to the driver, the woman had visible injuries on her face and seemed to be suffering from a lot of pain on her right hand side.

The ride to Pizza Garden was slowed by heavy traffic on the street that is one of the busiest in Nairobi at night.

"I remember her saying we men are very bad. She could not understand how a friend of her husband's could rape her," he recalled. "She asked me for my phone so she could call her husband but he was offline. She then asked to call a friend of his."

When they arrived at her car, the woman asked the taxi driver to follow her in his car to her home in Kileleshwa to ensure her attackers were not coming after her.

"It was the most horrendous driving I have seen in a long while. She swerved constantly and even hit my car next to Gypsy Bar," he narrated.

"A car suddenly entered the road in front of her and in a flash of panic she quickly reversed and hit my car. We stopped and I got out and approached the other car only to find the driver and the occupants were Europeans and meant no harm. They apologised and drove away."

The taxi driver said the woman promised to pay him for the damage. He is among 10 people who have so far been questioned by police over the attack.

"When we arrived at her home, she was in so much distress that we had to help her into another car to be taken to hospital," he recalls.

The driver had initially agreed to narrate his experience inf front of a camera but changed his mind, saying he feared for his life.

Wednesday, the victim's husband said the MP had been trying to reach them for a settlement.

Aides of the MP declined our request to access the office to ascertain if there were signs of a forced entry to the bathroom. The rape victim says the MP forced his way into the toilet and pulled her out.

Her husband accused the MP of sending several emissaries to talk to him to persuade his wife and family not to pursue the matter and seek a settlement instead.

"He called me on Sunday and I told him we could not talk. Since then, he has sent a number of emissaries to ask that we talk to end this saga. I want you to tell him to leave us alone," he said.

The husband said he wants justice for his wife with whom he has been attending counselling in the hospital where she is admitted.

"I can only talk to him after there is justice. I hope the police are not joking because my wife is really traumatised."

The husband said he has been visiting his wife in hospital since Sunday morning.

"I know him well because he was my friend. I trusted him, but what he did to my wife is not acceptable at all," said the husband.

He said the final medical report on his wife revealed the shocking scale and fury of the attack and injuries she suffered.

But Mwiti continued to deny the accusations. "Let us leave the issue for now. I have not done that. Please leave it because it is under investigation," he said.

Wednesday, Dr David Mwangi Muchiri of Fig Tree Medical Centre, who is accused of subjecting the victim to an HIV test before she was allegedly raped underwent more grilling by detectives at the Parklands Police Station. "Yes, I wrote another statement in a different format. I will inform you of more," he said.

The doctor has admitted that he was at the alleged scene of crime but denied conducting the forced HIV test. Muchiri said he graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in medicine and surgery in 1999, and is a general practitioner.

"Ethics dictate that before you do such a test, there is pre and post-counselling. I have practised for 16 years and cannot do such a thing," he alleged.

Police said they were waiting for the results of tests on DNA samples sent to the Government Chemist.