Officers charged with torture, illegal detention of UK national

Former Eastleigh North OCS Rebecca Njeri Muraya and Sergeant Abdisalam Ahmed were on Wednesday charged with torture.

This is after they allegedly ordered the illegal detention of a United Kingdom national for two days.

Appearing before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina, the officers denied two charges of abuse of office and torture relating to the unlawful detention of businesswoman Ayni Hussein Mahammud.

They are accused of allegedly ordering the arrest and confinement of Mahammud at Muthaiga Police Station for two days, to pressure her to withdraw an assault complaint she had filed against Abdihakim Said Jama.

In the first count, Njheri and Ahmed were charged with torture contrary to section 4 (a) as read with Section (5) (1) of the Prevention of Torture Act.

They were charged that being police officers within the National Police Service, on December 31, 2021, at the Eastleigh North police station, they intentionally and unlawfully jointly ordered the arrest of Hussein and detained her at the Muthaiga police station for two days, with the intent to intimidate her from pursuing a complaint of assault against Jama.

This is after Mahammud lodged a complaint of assault against Jama.

Muraya and Abdisalam are also jointly charged with abuse of office contrary to section 10 (1) as read with section 102 of the Penal Code.

“On December 31, 2021, at Eastleigh North police station within Starehe Sub county in Nairobi county, you unlawfully and without any sufficient cause and reason arrested Ayni Hussein Mahammud and detained her at Muthaiga police station,” the charge sheet reads in part.

Magistrate Onyina said the two police officers will remain free on a cash bail of Sh500,000 each, which they had deposited last year when they first appeared before the court.

The charges against them arise from an incident in which they allegedly declined to arrest Jama for assaulting Hussein

Jama was later charged after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) took over the case.

He was prosecuted at the Makadara Law Courts, convicted, and fined Sh100,000 for assaulting Mahammud.

The businesswoman had written to the DPP on April 15, 2025, protesting the delayed prosecution of Muraya and Abdisalam.

“It is my respectful plea that you ensure this matter proceeds without further hindrance, so I may have my day in court and present evidence to support the prosecution in proving the charges preferred against the accused persons,” the letter reads in part.

The prosecution of the officers was recommended by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority after investigations into their alleged illegal actions meted out on Hussein.

The case will be mentioned on April 25, 2025.