Justice
A Mombasa-based blogger Bruce John alias Chawa 001 is calling on the Police to apprehend people who allegedly abducted, sodomized and assaulted him over a social media video which infuriated a County Official.
Friends of the blogger protested along Moi Avenue in Mombasa CBD to the Regional Police Headquarters, presenting their grievances to Mombasa Police Commander Peter Kimani. The Police Commander assured them of a thorough probe into the matter that was reported at Bamburi Police Station.
Because of the sensitivity of the case, the doctors who treated the blogger didn’t want to go on record on the matter preferring to hand over their report to the Police. Speaking at a private hospital in Kisauni Sub-County where he is getting treatment the blogger said he has had excruciating pain since Thursday after the beastly act.
He recounted that around 8am he was awakened by bangs on the door before ten people stormed his single room in Bamburi with ten other people waiting outside. His neighbours were taken aback and asked them about the mistakes he had committed.
Some of the friends who had led a protest to the Regional Police Headquarters to condemn the beastly act against the blogger.
The blogger said the men masqueraded as Police Officers claiming they had come to pick him up to meet the County Official in a hotel in Nyali to apologize. He said his abductors did not take him to meet the official but interrogated him until they reached the Nyali Bridge where his hands and legs were tied and he was put in a gunny sack
“They squeezed my throat and ordered to face downwards not to attract attention in case they encounter police roadblocks,” narrated John in his hospital bed. They travelled for a long distance before he was removed from the gunny sack and his abductors told him off for criticizing the devolved government on social media platforms. He was surrounded and assaulted by 20 men.
“Two street boys wearing balaclavas were paid to sodomize me. They undressed and sodomized me in turns. I urinated as a result of pain. Some youths were taking videos,” he recalled. “I pleaded with them to leave me alone. They warned me not to report my ordeal lest they share the videos,” he added.
Ruth Kache, Bruce’s sister urges the government to expedite investigations to bring the known suspect to book. Michael Nato, a human rights activist said Bruce could have been arrested and charged instead of the degrading treatment he was subjected to. He linked Bruce’s experience to forceful disappearance.
“Our call to the police is for the culprits to be immediately arrested and charged,” stated Nato.