Siaya: Police officer detained for allegedly raping woman in cell

A police constable accused of raping a woman while in custody in Sega, Siaya County, has been remanded for two weeks pending a decision by the court to release him on bond.

Cosmas Chirchir, who will be held at the Siaya G.K Prison, was on Wednesday arraigned before Ukwala Principal Magistrate Linah Sarapai to face three counts of rape, indecent assault and abuse of office.

The court heard that on April 12, 2021, at the Sega Police Station in Ugenya, Chirchir allegedly raped a woman who had been arrested and locked up in the cells for failing to wear a facemask at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policeman was apprehended following recommendations of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) which said it had gathered sufficient evidence to back the accusations against him.

Magistrate Sarapai ordered that Chirchir be remanded until June 28, 2022 when she will rule on whether the officer should be granted bail or not.

Pre-trial hearing of the case has been scheduled for July 4, 2022 when the prosecution is expected to call 11 witnesses, among them police officers.