Kenya: The Police in Tinderet, Nandi County have opened the manhunt for a Kenya Forest Service officer who has been accused of sexual misconduct. The incident happened at Kipkurere forest, where the 16-year-old victim was collecting firewood.
The forest ranger allegedly grabbed the victim and dragged her to his house where he assaulted her sexually, The suspect has been identified as Nixon Mwangi by the girls who were accompanying the victim at the time of the incident.
The girls reported the incident at Meteitei Police Station in Tinderet Sub-County. According to the witnesses, the forest guard chased away a group of girls from the forest where they were picking fallen wood debris.
When the girls were leaving the forest, the officer caught up with the unlucky Form II student from a local school. He then defiled the girl in his home while the rest of the girls were able to escape.
They informed the mother of the victim who reached out to the Kenya Forest Service officers after the incident. Some officers helped the victim’s mother find the home of the suspect who had taken her daughter.
When they finally got to it, the suspect had fled the home, leaving behind the victim. Afterwards, the forest officers rescued the victim and took her to the hospital. She was given medical attention at the health facility.
Further, the police force has announced that they are looking for the suspect. Meanwhile, the incident has also drawn attention from the Kenya Forest Service Authorities.
The officials claimed that they were taking the allegation of sexual misconduct very seriously. They have even started an internal investigation and shared that the officials of the KFS are not above justice.
The Kenya Forest Service said, “The Kenya Forest Service is working with all relevant law enforcement agencies for thorough and impartial investigations.”
“The Service does not condone any form of injustice, including those that relate to user rights of forest adjacent communities” added the service.