Gang-raped Garissa woman recounts night of horror

The victim being assisted to sit down outside her house in Bula Medina, Garissa. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

A woman in Garissa is struggling to come to terms with a traumatic ordeal after she was violently attacked and raped by suspected goons.

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The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Bula Medina, on the outskirts of Garissa town.

It happened a day after the fatal shooting of 24-year-old taxi driver Aden Mohamed—an incident that sparked three days of protests across Garissa.

The victim, whose identity is being withheld, spoke from her home in Bula Medina shortly after being discharged from hospital, where she had been receiving treatment.

“I was deep asleep when I heard a loud bang on the door at around midnight. Things happened so fast, and before I could realise, they had already pulled me out of my husband’s bed,” she said.

“They then hit me with a rungu before ordering me to board a motorbike with them.”

“They then sped off with me to a location I could not identify, but it was in a bush. They proceeded to undress me and did their thing in turns. After they were done, they started arguing about whether they should kill me or not. But God spared my life.”

Now recovering physically, she says the psychological scars remain deep. “I am in pain and anger. I never imagined something like this could happen to me. All I want is justice,” she said.

“I hope the government moves quickly and arrests those responsible for this heinous act.”

Her husband, narrowly survived the attack. He said he tried to fight off the assailants but was overpowered. “They were determined to harm me. I struggled with them, but they stabbed me in the back and on my hand,” he said.

“I was bleeding as I ran away. I thank God I survived, but I am deeply angered by what they did to my wife. I just want justice.”

The incident has drawn concern from community leaders. Njeru Njiru, a spokesperson for non-local residents in Garissa, condemned the attack and warned against resolving such serious crimes through Maslaha, a traditional way of solving disputes.

“In this region, we have seen cases of robbery with violence, rape and even murder handled through Maslaha, a traditional dispute resolution mechanism,” he said.

“This case must not go that route. The perpetrators must face the full force of the law so that the victims get the justice they deserve.”

Garissa county police commander Samson Chelugo confirmed that five suspects are already in custody and will be arraigned once investigations are complete.

“I want to assure the victims that justice will be served. We also appreciate members of the public who provided information leading to these arrests,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police officer allegedly linked to the fatal shooting of Aden Mohamed remains at large. Authorities say efforts to track him down are ongoing.