Women who were allegedly roughed-up by ODM supporters at Kisumu’s Jumuia hotel have started testifying in court.
The women, who were convened at the hotel on 13 September last year were descended upon by a group of irate youth who accused them of buying and selling Identity Cards (IDs).
The incident has since seen five people who purportedly orchestrated the assault arrested and charged with robbery with violence claims.
According to the charge-sheet, the five are Joseph Otieno, Isaac Oguta, Zacharia Odhiambo, Elijah Owino and Jack Ochieng’.
The hearing saw two women, Betty Oketch and Zulena Mohammed give their testimonies before Principal Magistrate Joan Wambilyanga.
Oketch, who was the first to testify, told the court that she was the one facilitating the meeting at the Hotel when the wrath-filled youth stormed the premise.
Oketch claimed that a group of about 10 men matched in the room where they had convened for a religious meeting and unleashed horror on them.
“They took away my laptop, phone, and spectacles which all cost 175,000 shillings. I took cover in the toilet after they started beating us and I was rescued by police,” Oketch told the court.
Mohammed told the court that the attackers hurled chairs all over the room, adding that she was gruesomely slapped when she tried to explain that the meeting was strictly religious and that they were not buying and selling IDs.
“They even undressed me and left me half naked. I later managed to escape and a good Samaritan outside the hotel gave me a cloth to cover myself,” stated Mohammed.
She claimed that she lost 10,000 shillings in cash and a phone worth Sh1,800.
Other women who recorded statements to have been robbed but are yet to testify include; Meryne Atieno who claimed that she lost a laptop, phone, and camera which cost 312,000 shillings.
The Prosecutor of the case Nyakundi Mukaya said that at least 150 women were affected by the incident, adding that more are lined up to testify before the court.
The Principal Magistrate directed that the case is heard on July 4.