Father of girls raped in Tana River arrested
What you need to know:
- Galole OCPD Sylvester Gathungu on Wednesday said three people were arrested at Chifiri area with two AK47 rifles.
- Nur Abdi, a cousin of the sisters, told the Nation that their father, the girls' uncle and one other relative were arrested by the police for allegedly possessing firearms.
A civil society organisation has accused the police in Tana River County of covering up the gang-rape of two sisters.
Khalif Abdi, the coordinator of the Northern Forum for Democracy, on Wednesday claimed the father of the girls was arrested together with his relatives.
"We are asking the police to come clean on the arrest of this old man and his relative," Mr Abdi said.
Galole OCPD Sylvester Gathungu on Wednesday said three people were arrested at Chifiri area with two AK47 rifles and 28 rounds of ammunition.
He said the suspects were being held at Hola Police Station.
But Nur Abdi, a cousin of the sisters, told the Nation that their father, the girls' uncle and one other relative were arrested by the police for allegedly possessing firearms.
"We cannot understand what is happening," he said.
"Police have arrested the father of the two sisters recently gang-raped by people who are still free… They are arresting their father only to claim that they have caught him with firearms."
He said the family had suffered a double tragedy following the rape and the arrest of the family members.
Khalif Abdi called for the police and local administrators to take full responsibility for the failure to arrest the 15 men who raped the girls.
Last week, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions expressed concern about the delayed arrest of the 15.
In a letter dated December 9, the DPP ordered police in Hola to act swiftly and arrest the suspects to avert a possible outbreak of inter-clan conflict between the Somalis (the victims) and the Ormos (the alleged assailants).
The two sisters, aged 16 and 23, were allegedly gang-raped by a group of about 15 youths in Wayu Location in Bura, Tana Sub-County, while their father was tied to a tree and forced to watch.
