Former Eastleigh North Police Station Commander (OCS) Rebecca Muraya and her junior officer, Abdisalam Ahmed, are facing criminal charges for allegedly torturing a woman.
The two are accused of unlawfully detaining Ayni Hussein Mahammud on December 31, 2021.
The officers are charged under Section 4(a), as read with Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Torture Act.
Prosecutors claim that the duo, acting in their capacity as police officers within the National Police Service, ordered the arrest and detention of Mahammud at Muthaiga Police Station for two days.
The alleged motive behind the detention was to intimidate Mahammud from pursuing an assault complaint she had lodged against Abdihakim Saidi Jama. Despite her initial report, the officers reportedly failed to take action against Jama.
In addition to the torture charges, Muraya and Abdisalam are also facing a separate count of abuse of office under Section 10(1), as read with Section 102 of the Penal Code. According to the charge sheet, the officers unlawfully and without sufficient cause arrested and detained Mahammud.
Both officers denied the charges when they appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina.
They will remain out on a bond of Sh500,000, an amount they had previously deposited during an earlier court appearance.
The case is set to be mentioned on April 25.
The charges stem from allegations that the officers refused to arrest Jama despite the complaint. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) later took over the case, resulting in Jama’s prosecution at the Makadara Law Courts. He was found guilty of assault and fined Sh100,000.
Mahammud, in a letter dated April 15, urged Magistrate Onyina to ensure the case against Muraya and Abdisalam proceeds without further delay. “It is my respectful plea that you ensure this matter proceeds without further hindrance, so I may have my day in court and present evidence to support the prosecution in proving the charges preferred against the accused persons,” she wrote.
