Kakamega court told of rape and robbery at institute

A somber mood engulfed a court yesterday when students narrated how they were robbed and raped for two hours at their hostel.

The victims, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Bildad Ochieng', recounted how they sustained injuries in the hands of robbers armed with crude weapons.

One of the witnesses had to be given time to compose herself, as emotions ran high while she narrated how her eye was gouged out.

The Bushiangala Technical Training Institute students were testifying in a case where Fred Musungu, Felix Shiabetsa, Vincent Mukandi and Samuel Ingumba, are facing four counts of robbery with violence.

The court heard that the four men descended on the victims' private hostel on October 29, last year, and demanded money, laptops, mobile phones and other electronics.

One witness narrated that she was folding her clothes at 11pm when one of the door knobs turned and the door opened before four men made their way in.

She was in the company of her boyfriend when they were bundled together and ordered to surrender all their money.

The assailants warned the victims of dire consequences if they dared scream and proceeded to assault them using crowbars. They then ransacked their suitcases and took away Sh2,500.

“I had another Sh2,500 in M-Shwari account, which I promised to send on condition that they spare our lives," said the witness.

Rape her

The victim, identified as COM, said she forwarded the money but the assailants dismissed the transaction as a lie and proceeded to undress and rape her, as her boyfriend watched helplessly.

It was the testimony of her classmate that moved the court more when she recounted how her eye was gouged out as she peeped through a door to see what was happening outside.

Jessica Okello told the court she was woken up by noise of someone struggling with her door. “I went to peep but the attackers hit one of the glasses on my door and the crowbar used pierced my eye. I writhed in pain and screamed, making them to vanish,” she said.

The magistrate heard that Jessica’s eye was declared permanently damaged.

The four suspects are being held at Kakamega Main Prison after they failed to raise Sh500,000 bond. Hearing continues.