Former Imenti Central MP Gideon Mwiti charged afresh with rape

Former Imenti Central MP Gideon Mwiti in court during hearing of his Rape case [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

Former Imenti Central MP Gideon Mwiti charged afresh with rape after charge sheet was amended to add more counts.

Mwiti appeared before Magistrate Francis Andayi and denied three counts of rape, Intimidation and assault contrary to the law.

The politician is charged alongside a medical practitioner David Muchiri, who allegedly conducted an involuntary HIV test on the complainant.

Muchiri is facing two counts of aiding and abetting together with neglect to prevent a felony contrary to the law on March 21,2015.

The court heard that on March 21, 2015 at Tana club along Woodvale Groove Westlands within Nairobi County, Mwiti internally and unlawfully obtained consent and raped a woman.

In the second count Mwiti is said to have committed an indecent act with a child contrary to the law on similar dates and place.

On March 1, 2015, Mwiti injured a woman with intent to commit sexual intercourse with her unlawfully.

Mwiti is said to have assaulted the said woman on March 1, 2015.He was charged after more counts were added to the first charge sheet.

In September 2017, the former MP lost a bid to have his rape case terminated.

This was after a Nairobi court dismissed an application seeking to have the criminal charge dropped.

Andayi said the application by the defense team that the charge is defective had no merit.

Mwiti, through his lawyer John Khaminwa, had urged the court to drop the case on grounds the law used to charge Mwiti doesn't disclose sexual offence.

But the trial magistrate ruled out the lawyer saying the prosecution can amend the charge sheet at any stage so the case proceeds to the end.

Khaminwa had asked the court not to waste judicial time with the defective charges.

The prosecution asked the court to allow them to amend the charge before the next hearing of the case.

Mwiti is facing charges of rape, assault, and intimidation which he has since denied.