A Nairobi-based hawker has been charged with raping his housemate’s friend and injuring a police officer during his arrest.
Ben Marita Mokema allegedly raped the woman, SM, on July 18 inside a house he shares with his roommate in Fuata Nyayo slums in South B, Nairobi.
According to a police report presented in court, SM had reached out to Mokema trying to get in touch with his roommate because she needed to retrieve an item that he had borrowed from her.
The accused told her that the roommate had already left the house but the item was still in their house. He suggested that she could come and collect it, and since SM was unfamiliar with the directions to the house, they agreed upon a meeting point.
They proceeded to the residence together but upon arrival, the accused locked the door with a padlock. He then brandished a knife and threatened SM before sexually abusing her.
According to SM’s statement to the police, she claimed that she screamed for help but Mokema was playing loud music, obstructing the neighbors from hearing her cries.
She alleged that Mokema sexually assaulted her on two occasions before locking her inside the house and leaving. He later returned and subjected her to a third sexual assault.
Mokema’s housemate later came back to the house with a woman and found SM inside, with the accused claiming that she was his girlfriend.
The two men went outside, leaving the two women alone in the house. During this time, SM informed the other woman about the sexual assault.
The second woman lent SM her phone so that she could contact her husband for help. However, before she could make the call, Mokema returned to the house.
Afterward, the woman left the house with Mokema’s housemate, leaving SM alone with the suspect once again.
According to court documents, SM later managed to escape and sought her relatives who accompanied her to the police post to report the incident. From there, they proceeded to the hospital for medical attention.
Upon receiving the report, police officers from Mariguini police post went to arrest Mokema on the same day. They included Corporal Stephen Njoka, and police constables Olivia Chonde and Lilian Nyamboke.
However, the situation escalated when the suspect resisted arrest and became violent.
During the commotion, the accused injured one of the police officers. Neighbors had to intervene and assist the officers in subduing and apprehending him.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Francis Kyambia at the Makadara law courts, Ben Marita Mokema denied the charges.
The prosecution counsel, Cosmas Kyambia, urged the court to remand MMokema at the Industrial Area police station, as he is also wanted for another offense.
The court granted the accused a bond of Sh100, 000. The magistrate scheduled the next mention of the case for July 31, while the trial date has been set for January 17, 2024.
