By Betty Luke
Three months after an elderly woman was brutally murdered and another sexually assaulted by a group of Morans in Kargi, Marsabit County, the suspects roam freely spreading fear and tension among the survivor of the incident and other women in the village.
Ms Magret Esimonte, 60, was attacked alongside Ms Sahado Wareheu after a local medicine man accused them of practicing witchcraft.
Locals and the deceased family members have accused the police of sympathizing with some individuals they claimed were out to protect the criminals.
“It saddens us that three months down the line no progress has been made towards offering of justice for our departed kin. The killers are people well known to us and continue to walk freely posing a threat to the rest of the family members,” shared a relative who sought anonymity.
A resident, Joseph Ogom wondered why the issue took too long saying there were enough witnesses ready to testify on the matter.
“We wonder if we live in a country where justice is for a few people. Why would arresting well-known criminals and taking them to court take such a long time? Is it because the victim’s family is poor or is it because it is a woman who was killed? he posed.
A woman who is said to have lost her husband in a road accident had been accompanied by two other villagers to the medicine man seeking a solution to her misfortunes.
Reports indicate that the medicine man informed them that ‘some women’ were responsible for the woes, and only gave them directions to their manyattas, a few meters from Kargi town.
The three went back home and reportedly instructed some Morans to attack the women and eliminate them for causing suffering to the woman.
On February 18, 2024 at around 1am, the three young men invaded Ms Esimonte’s grass-thatched Manyatta and smoked her out.
Using crude weapons, they beat her, leaving her for dead before proceeding to Ms Wahareua’s compound, a few meters away.
Due to the harsh weather conditions in the area, Ms Sahado was caught sleeping outside and the Morans descended on her with sticks leaving her nursing serious wounds.
The two were rescued by well-wishers and taken to a nearby dispensary where Ms Esimonte succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment.
Despite efforts by human rights crusaders demanding action by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, officers have so far visited the village and recorded statements but no suspect is yet to be arrested.
A senior police officer from the area intimated to The Press Point that the issue had been handed over to DCI for further action.
“It saddens me that no arrests have been made yet but the issue is beyond us. It is with the County Criminal Investigation Officer (CCIO),” the officer told The Press Point.
Defenders Coalition Executive Director Kamau Ngugi questioned why the state was yet to hold the investigating officers responsible over laxity to hold suspects to account saying the action would make rural women lose confidence in the justice system.
According to the activist, the DCI was out to support blatant disregard of the right to life for women perpetrated by their male counterparts.
“This may encourage women to shy off reporting such incidents. Police should assure Kenyans that they are ready to protect Kenyan women from all forms of harm,” he said.
