Women from Athi River town on Monday held a peaceful demonstration against the release of a man who had been arrested for allegedly defiling a minor.
Led by the Mavoko Sub County Maendeleo Ya Wanawake chair lady, Angeline Maloza, the protesters matched along Athi River streets from Makadara Shopping Centre towards Athi River Police station demanding re arrest of the suspect.
"We are protesting to demand for justice. The man who defiled a girl who comes from a poor family was arrested on Saturday night, detained at the cells for a few hours and released at around 2.00 am same night," said Maloza.
The women who called the suspect said to be a popular business man within the town various names carrying placards were shortly intercepted by officers from Athi River Police Station.
The officers took away the placards from the demonstrating women terming the demonstrations illegal and ordered them to go home until they secured a legal permit from the same police station to proceed with the demos.
Maloza later led the women who had given up the demonstrations to Athi River Police Station where the minor's parents had gone to make follow up on the case.
Loyce Mutheu, the girl's mother who addressed the press at the police station said Mike Mumo, a scrape dealer in Athi River town on Thursday night defiled her 14 year old daughter at a Kitengela hotel.
Mutheu said the suspect picked the Lukenya School of Excellence student from Athi River town at 10.00pm on Thursday night, took and raped her at the hotel, then dropped her back living her bleeding.
Athi River Police boss Kizito Mutoro confirmed the incident stating that police was aware of the incident since it had been reported on Friday, but condemned the demonstrations terming them illegal, arguing they were interfering with other members of the public's peace unreasonably.
"We are aware that a case was on Friday reported at the police station by the complainants that their 14 year old daughter had been defiled," said Mutoro.
Mutoro said the suspect had been arrested and constitutionally released on a cash bail but would be arraigned in court once a P3 form is filled and provided to the police by the Nairobi Women Hospital, Kitengela branch where the victim had been admitted as required by the law.
He refuted claims by the women that the police was reluctant in pursuing the case with agency and seriousness that it deserves.
The women vowed not to relent until the suspect who has since been at large was rearrested and arraigned in court soonest.