Income Tax Headaches

The rise in the number of rape incidents in the country are disturbing and even more appalling is the new wave of sexual harassment of women by honorable members of parliament.

The latest incident is the saga involving Imenti Central MP Gideon Mwiti, who is accused of raping a married woman at his office in Westlands on Saturday night.

According to the victim, who is currently receiving treatment at Nairobi women’s hospital, she had gone to meet the MP in his office to sign a contract, whereby she will be managing his public relations. Mwiti allegedly forced her to take an HIV test, which was done by a doctor who was in the vicinity, before the MP physically assaulted her and raped her.

Mwiti has however refuted the accusations and maintained that he is ready to take a medical test to prove his innocence.

The crime was reported at the Parklands police station and police are investigating the matter.

Hot on the heels of this incident is another similar occurrence surrounding a member of a parliamentary committee.

Taita Taveta women Representative Joyce Lay has claimed that turbo MP Elisha Busienei became violent and abusive towards her after she refused his sexual advances. The two are members of the defense and foreign affairs committee and were part of a presidential entourage accompanying president Uhuru in a state visit to Japan last week.

According to Joyce,who aired her grievances on the committee’s Whatsapp group, Busienei blocked her way to her room and started insinuating that she gets into his room instead and after resisting him, he called her “useless”.

MP FIRES WOMAN AFTER TURNING DOWN SEXUAL ADVANCES

Early this month, a woman who was working as a secretary for Juja MP Francis Waititu,accused him offiring her after she turned down his sexual advances.

Susan Wambui, who accused the MP of firing her through a text message, went ahead to display text messages allegedly sent by the MP. As is the golden rule when caught in such murky waters; DENY! DENY! Waititu dismissed the accusations and challenged Wambui to produce signed documents showing that she was his employee.

Well, these are just a few incidents of sexual harassments where victims have spoken out and brought them to the public limelight but we can be certain that the occurrences are much more widespread.

The sad bit is that in such cases of sexual harassment involving politicians, the victims are usually intimidated and even threatened in the most extreme circumstances and hence speaking out is never an option, the only alternative is to suffer in silence.

Last year, Bumula Ward MCA, Henry Nyongesa was accused of impregnating a schoolgirl and later helping her procure abortion. Following pressure from Human Rights groups The Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko ordered for Nyongesa’simmediate arrest.

Nyongesahad allegedly been frustrating and preventing the law from taking its course by bribing the police and had even paid the family of the minor a huge amount of money to drop the case and deny that such a thing ever happened.

It’s disgraceful, barbaric and immoral when a man feels like he can violate a woman sexually at will, just because he can. It’s so perturbing to imagine that the above incidents have occurred to maturewomen who command authority in the society and this leaves one at a loss to comprehend on what just happens to the under privileged girls and women who either lack the courage or the resources and even muscles to confront their oppressors.

Victims of rape or sexual harassment in Kenya hardlyget justice mainly due to lack of enough evidence to have the perpetrators convicted and shoddy investigations which end up leaving victims more frustrated and maybe it’s about time this shameful legislators, get convicted for their crimes, in order to serve as an example to their fellow crooks.