Wajir gang-rape: Police in pursuit of 5 suspects, one in custody

By: Yunis Dekow 

WAJIR—A newly married woman was reportedly gang-raped by six men at Wajir’s Barwaqo Ward on Monday morning.

Confirming the incident, the area chief Yahya Abdullahi said the incident occurred at 11 am at Afgoye Village.

“This is a very unfortunate incident. Security agencies are conducted investigations and further information will be provided once it is concluded,” said Mr. Abdi.

Members of the public caught Mahad Salad Bule at the scene of the incident. He was later handed over to the police who came to the scene.

According to the police, Mahad named five other suspects who allegedly took part in the gang rape. The detectives probing the matter said they have launched a manhunt to arrest the five named suspects. Mahat was arraigned at the Wajir Magistrate on Tuesday, but the prosecution asked for more days to “arrest the other suspects.”

HARN Executive Director Siyad Jimale adresing the press in past function

Siyad Jimale, the Executive Director of Horizon Analysts and Researchers Network (HARN), said the news coming from Wajir “is both traumatizing and utterly concerning.”

“It is shocking that such an ugly case of sexual violence happened a few months ago. The last incident of such nature left the victim dead,” noted Jimale.

He added that the distressing incident is coming just months “after another married woman was raped and later murdered in the outpost of Wajir East Constituency.”

He continued: “Worse enough, these cases of rape is not only limited to women but also men, there was another case that happened in Wajir’s Got-Ade area where a young boy was defiled.”

Jimale described the surge in gender based violence as a “painful and ugly act.”

“It is disheartening that these cases are still recurring even when we have a functional government with fully equipped security agencies,” said Jimale.

Activists and human rights defenders blamed the Maslah system for the increase in the number of defilement and rape cases in the region.

Security officers in Wajir have been urged to act in earnest, apprehend the culprits, and put measures in place to avert such reckless and life- threatening acts.

Mr. Hassan Ali, a Wajir resident said the incident “was a very unfortunate reality that women in the county continue to face in an unprecedented rate.”

He observed that urgent need is required for better protection and support for victims of sexual violence, who are mainly women and girls.

“Hopefully, stakeholders will take proactive actions in addressing this critical issue and finding justice for the victim,” he said.

Local leaders, clerics and the elders have also been tasked to speak up against these protracting vices and allow not to fall for Maslaha system.

Elders in North Eastern have severally attempted to solve the case through the maslah court system, a popular out-of-court settlement presided over by elders. However, it has severally been discouraged when it comes to settling sexual violence.

According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), women in Kenya have experienced some violence since the age of 15.

KDHS said results in the report were alarming, revealing that many women had encountered physical, sexual, or emotional violence.