In today’s court news, a Nairobi court has issued a warrant for the arrest of a senior police officer, Rebecca Njeri Muraya, who failed to appear for trial in a case where she faces charges of illegal detention and torture of a woman. Muraya, who serves as the Officer Commanding Eastleigh North Police Station, is jointly charged with Sergeant Abdisalam Ahmed from the same station.
During the proceedings, Ahmed informed Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina that Muraya had called him to explain that she was unwell and could not attend the trial. However, the victim’s legal representative, Advocate Julius Nyagah from the International Justice Mission (IJM), raised concerns about the delay in the case, criticizing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for its handling of the matter and its failure to deliver justice promptly.
State prosecutor Joyce Olajo responded by urging the court to disregard the sickness claim, as Muraya had not provided any medical documentation to support her absence. Olajo argued that without evidence or an explanation from Muraya’s counsel, there was no reason to accept the illness as valid, requesting that the court issue an arrest warrant.
Simon Mburu, counsel for the complainant, also emphasized the prolonged delays in the case and urged the court to proceed with the prosecution in the interest of justice.
In his ruling, Magistrate Onyina granted the prosecution’s request, issuing an arrest warrant for Muraya, as no evidence had been presented to substantiate her claim of illness.
The two officers are facing charges related to the illegal detention and torture of British national Ayni Hussein Mahammud. The prosecution alleges that on December 31, 2021, at Eastleigh North Police Station, they jointly ordered Mahammud’s unlawful arrest and detention at Muthaiga Police Station for two days in an attempt to intimidate her from pursuing a complaint of assault against Abdihakim Said Jama.
The officers also face a charge of abuse of office. The prosecution claims they arrested and detained Mahammud without cause, further prolonging the case with repeated requests for adjournment to review files related to the matter.
At the hearing, prosecutor Olajo explained that the case file was still under review by the ODPP, and there were no further directions. The magistrate granted two more weeks for the ODPP to review the file and directed the case to be mentioned on May 19, 2025.
