It reads like a script from a dark comedy, but for one young woman in Mwiki, it was a living nightmare. A suspect accused of a brutal assault—who allegedly tied up, defiled, and filmed his victim before setting her house on fire—managed to walk out of a police station unnoticed, reportedly by disguising himself as a drunkard.

The shocking lapse in security was brought to light on Monday by former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who intervened to rescue the traumatized victim after the justice system initially failed her.

The 'Drunkard' Disguise

According to the former county boss, the suspect had been arrested shortly after the harrowing incident in Mwiki, Nairobi. However, his stay in custody was short-lived. In a twist that has sparked outrage across the capital, the man allegedly feigned intoxication and slipped past officers who mistook him for a petty offender being released.

"The suspect was arrested after the incident, but mysteriously got released from police custody after disguising himself as a drunkard," Sonko revealed, questioning the competence of the officers on duty. The escape left the victim, who was already hiding at a cousin's home in fear for her life, on the brink of suicide.

A Trail of Terror

The details of the assault paint a disturbing picture of unchecked gender-based violence (GBV). The ordeal reportedly began in November, escalating from harassment to a violent crescendo where the suspect:

• Assaulted and restrained the victim in her own home.
• Filmed the abuse, adding a layer of digital humiliation to the physical trauma.
• Torched her house, destroying her belongings and sense of sanctuary.

"She is alive today only because of the courage of her friend, who refused to let her give up," Sonko noted. The friend's persistence in reaching out to the former Governor's team likely saved the victim from further harm, as the suspect remained at large following his 'escape.'

Sonko's Personal Crusade

This intervention comes just weeks after Sonko publicly confronted his own son-in-law over allegations of domestic violence, signaling a personal shift for the flamboyant politician into a vocal anti-GBV crusader. "If my own daughter can face harassment, what about the countless young women in Kenya who suffer silently?" he had posed in November.

Following Sonko's public exposure of the Mwiki case, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) moved swiftly. The suspect has since been re-arrested and is currently in custody. He is expected to face multiple charges, including grievous harm, arson, and threatening to kill.

While the immediate danger to the victim has passed, the incident raises uncomfortable questions for Nairobians: If a violent offender can walk out of a police station by simply acting drunk, who is truly safe?