A Nigerian who allegedly raped his sister-in-law on the rooftop of a storey building in Zimmerman, Nairobi, has pleaded not guilty.
Emmanuel Orobondi is married to a Kenyan. He was arraigned before Makadara senior principal magistrate Angelo Githinji. Orobondi allegedly committed the offence on December 4. He was charged with a second count of indecently touching her.
The police said the complainant had gone to her sister’s place for a family function in the company of other relatives. The sister had a newborn, so they gathered for a naming ceremony.
By around 1 am, some visitors had left and the complainant and her other sisters were left behind. She was allegedly called outside by the brother-in-law, who led her to the rooftop on claims that someone wanted to see her.
She did not suspect malice until they got to the rooftop and Orobondi started caressing her.
“He told me he had been starved of sex for a long time since my sister got pregnant and finally a child, and he couldn’t hold back any more,” the complainant told the police.
She said Orobondi threatened to push her down the building if she refused to comply. He pulled her dress up, raped and warned her against telling anyone. If asked where they had gone, she was told to say they had been at a nearby bar to check if there were alcoholic drinks.
They went back and joined the rest in partying. The following morning, she left the sister’s place for her parents’ home, where she informed another sister of what had happened. They reported to Kasarani police station before going for a medical examination.
On Wednesday, the prosecution urged the court not to grant Orobondi bail or bond, saying he is a flight risk because of his nationality. But the defence team dismissed the claim saying he is the sole breadwinner of his family. Having married a Kenyan, he cannot abandon the family, his lawyer said.
Githinji granted him Sh500,000 bond with a surety of the same amount. The case will be heard on April 4.