Prison warders allegedly gang-rape woman visiting her husband

The woman alleges she was raped on Monday, October 4, 2021 at the Thika GK Prison. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

A prison warder at the Thika GK Prison in Kiambu County has been arrested for allegedly raping a 21-year-old woman.

The woman, 21, alleges she was sexually abused on Monday, October 4, when she had gone to visit her husband, who works at the facility.

The alleged victim said she lives in Kisii, where her spouse previously worked, and had been invited to Thika by him.

“On Sunday, my husband sent me bus fare via M-Pesa, and gave me directions to his workplace. I travelled to Thika the following day,” the alleged victim told The Standard.

She says she and her son, aged one-and-a-half years, arrived in Thika at 8pm on Monday.

“At the Thika GK Prison’s main gate, I met two prison warders. I informed them that I had come to visit my husband, who was unreachable on phone at the time. I, consequently, asked the two warders to assist me trace him,” she said.

The woman said she sat at the visitors’ waiting bay for nearly two hours, and at 10pm, the prison warders told her that their attempts to trace her partner were futile.

It was raining heavily that night, and one of the prison warders took her and her child to shelter in his house; one of the police quarters in the facility.

“It was a small mabati house in the prison,” said the alleged victim, adding: “They asked me to spend the night in the [staff] quarters, promising to help me trace my spouse the following day (Tuesday, October 5).”

The woman alleges that a few minutes to 11pm, the two prison warders, who had earlier received her, returned and locked the door from the inside using a chair.

“One of them grabbed and pinned me down on the floor. He, thereafter, brandished a firearm and warned to kill me if I dared scream.”

According to the alleged victim, the two warders took turns to rape her.

The duo left after allegedly committing the criminal offence. The woman claims she spent the whole night crying in the room.

“In the morning, I bumped into a female prison warder, whom I confided in. She took me to her senior supervisors, who I reported my ordeal to. I, thereafter, went to a hospital in Sega Town for medication.”

According to the alleged victim, she was referred to the Thika Level 5 Hospital, where she was examined.

Later that day, she went to the Thika Police Station, where she filed a rape report. The OB Number – 88/12/10/2021 – was, however, issued on Tuesday, October 12, after several cover-up complaints by the woman.

According to a post-rape care form filled at the Thika Level 5 Hospital, the alleged victim said she had been sexually penetrated by the two prison warders.

The medical report confirmed the woman was indeed raped.

On Tuesday, October 12, Thika West Sub-County Police Commander Daniel Kinyua confirmed to The Standard that one of the prison warders suspected of sexually abusing the woman was arrested.

“We are investigating the allegations levelled against the prison warder and his colleague by the complainant,” said Kinyua, adding: “We won’t cover up for any of the suspects if they are found culpable”.

The complainant’s spouse remains unreachable to date.