Drama unfolds at bahati police station as EACC officers rescue woman

Nakuru, Kenya: There was drama on Friday afternoon at Bahati police station in Nakuru County, when Ethics and Anti-Corruption officials stormed the station to free a woman who had been allegedly held for two days without charges.

Led by Japhet Baithalu, EACC South Rift regional Deputy Director, the officers who said they acted on tip-off from relatives of the detained woman, headed straight into the police cells and filmed the woman before freeing her as police officers watched.

"This is unacceptable. Confining somebody in police cells for more than 24 hours without pressing charges is wrong. She should have been arraigned in a court of law if indeed she had done wrong," said Baithalu.

According to the woman, Dorcas Mugure, 37, police officers arrested her on Wednesday morning at her home at Mwisho Wa Lami in Bahati. She said she had just sold her three cattle when the officers arrived.

"They told me that I was selling the cattle at a throw-away price and that they will investigate me since I had "stolen" the animals," she explained.

Mugure said she sold the three cows at Sh45, 000, Sh40, 000 and Sh10,000 respectively but the officers alleged that cattle were worth more.

"I wondered how my own cattle became stolen animals. I suspect it is my husband who has since gone into hiding who has facilitated the arrests since he was against the sale," she said.

After she was arrested, Mrs Murage told the Standard the officers demanded Sh30,000 bribe.

Jane Nyaguthie, a relative says she notified the EACC officers after the arrests."Police demanded that we pay for her release yet she has not committed any crime.These officers are very corrupt," she alleged.

Conspicuously, she was not booked as a suspect at the station where the officers allegedly kept on pressing her to part with the bribe.

"It is the intervention of the anti-graft officers that led to my release otherwise I would still be wallowing in the cells," she said.

Baithalu and his officers raided the station's booking unit and confiscated the station's Occurrence Book(OB). He said EACC would examine the document as they continue investigating some officers at the station including the Bahati OCPD Mr. Duncan Nguthu.

Curious residents attracted by the drama, watched in disbelief as the OCPD who dodged media jumped into his vehicle and sped off after the station's crucial documents were confiscated by the anti-graft officers.

"I have nothing to say to the press. I have no issue at all," said the OCPD.