Ipoa starts probe into assault on journalists

Investigations have been launched into claims that General Service Unit (GSU) officers who assaulted journalists and county officials at the Galana Ranch in Tana River have been raping local women and girls.

MPs Ibrahim Sane (Garsen), Ali Wario (Bura) and Hassan Dukicha (Galole) this week met Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery in Nairobi with this latest complaint against the officers.

“On Tuesday, the three of us held a meeting with the minister and informed him of wrongdoing by the GSU officers, including rape of women and girls, corruption, theft of animals and extortion,” said Mr Sane.
The minister reportedly assured the legislators that he would have a proper response for them on the matter, including progress being made in the investigation on the attack on the two journalists and the three county staff members.

LIVE WITH THE STIGMA

“The community is in a remote and isolated place and due to their conservative nature, the women have been forced to live with the stigma and its only men who keep on complaining to us that their women are being sexually abused by the GSU officers at (the) ADC farm,” said the MP.

This comes as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) dispatched its team to investigate the beating of the journalists and county employees.

Two detectives visited NTV cameraman Nehemiah Okwembah and Citizen TV’s Reuben Ogachi and recorded their statements on Wednesday.
Ipoa communication and advocacy officer Gladys Some-Mwangi said the agency was prepared to get to the root of the incident. 

“We shall be recording witnesses’ statements from the victims and the officers before making proper recommendations to the relevant agencies,” added Mrs Mwangi. 

The county employees assaulted were he governor’s adviser, Mr Abaroba Barisa, county information officer, Mr Ali Wario, and a driver, Mr Abdi Elema.