Kayole stripping suspects fail to take plea as one of them is deaf

A lady holds a placard during a protest against recent stripping of women in Nairobi. (Photo: Mbugua Kibera)

Nairobi, Kenya: Five men who were Thursday arraigned at Makadara Law Courts over the stripping of a woman in Kayole failed to take plea as one of them is deaf.

The five who appeared before Principal Magistrate Victor Wakumile will take plea on Friday after the prosecution has sourced for a sign language interpreter.

They were Wednesday positively identified by the victim as being part of a gang that attacked her and stripped her naked on claims she was indecently dressed.

The suspects were arrested by a special police squad that has been formed to hunt down men who are stripping women in public.

Police said they are expected in Makadara court Thursday to face various charges.

The woman told police she was selling boiled eggs at Mihango bus stop in Kayole when the men who were seated there each ordered the same.

After swallowing the food, they declined to pay Sh10 for each of the eggs they had taken.

According to police, it was at that point that the men, some of who are touts turned against her accusing her of being indecently dressed.

“They stripped and roughed her up before they escaped as the lady was taken to hospital where she was treated and discharged. They were known people in the area,” said an officer involved in the case.

The “Anti-Stripping Squad” to be based in Nairobi Area has more than a dozen officers and is specifically focusing on increasing cases of attacks on women in the name of them being indecent.

This came as police appealed to a woman captured screaming for mercy from men sexually harassing her in a Githurai bound matatu in a clip being circulated in the social media. The clip seems to have been captured in a matatu where the woman was being attacked by at least three men.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has sought special permission from the Director of Public Prosecution to prosecute men who are stripping women in public.

Chairman Eric Mutua said that the National Police Service should also immediately form a special unit to patrol areas where the crimes are likely to happen.

An Administration Policeman was on Sunday arrested and charged for stripping a woman in Komarock Estate, Nairobi.

Police said they had received “many” and increased complaints of harassment from women since the first incident happened.

Hundreds of protesters took to Nairobi streets recently to condemn the humiliating act on women.

The mobilisation for the protest started through social media under the hash tag #MyDressMyChoice.

Deputy President William Ruto waged into the debate, saying Kenya was not a "primitive" society and the men who stripped the women should be arrested.