A 20-year-old Ugandan domestic worker is on the path to justice after surviving a harrowing ordeal in which she was allegedly raped by her employer’s brother in Ngong Town, Kajiado County. The case has drawn public outrage and raised crucial questions about the abuse of domestic workers, the delay in paying wages, and the troubling treatment of survivors of gender-based violence in healthcare institutions.
The victim, whose identity is protected for safety reasons, had been working in Ngong when she was allegedly assaulted by the brother of her employer. After the assault, the suspect allegedly tried to bribe the victim with KSh700, but she refused. On Sunday, April 27, the victim’s sister, who worked as a nanny in the same household, received a call from her sibling, who was in distress. The sister immediately contacted her employer, who works at Trinity Health Centre in Ngong, but the employer denied any possibility of the assault. Despite the employer’s denial, the sister, feeling something was amiss, confronted the employer and threatened police intervention unless the victim was released and her wages paid.
The employer eventually handed over KSh5,000—an amount she had been withholding and allowed the victim to leave. To ensure the victim’s safety, the rescuers arranged for a meeting at Rubis Ngong station, where the station manager provided temporary refuge. The group then went to Ngong Police Station, where an officer named Sharon took up the case. From there, they proceeded to Nairobi Women’s Hospital, where a medical examination confirmed the presence of semen on the victim’s body. The victim was given emergency medication for STIs, HIV prevention, pregnancy prevention, and pain relief.
The following morning, the group was directed to a local hospital to complete P3 forms, but the victim and her supporters faced significant delays. When the doctor finally attended to the victim, the doctor allegedly treated her with disdain, dismissing her claims of rape. She reportedly told the victim that she “didn’t look like someone who had been raped.” After raising concerns with the hospital’s management, another doctor stepped in to assist, and it was revealed that the dismissive doctor was known to extort bribes from vulnerable patients, demanding a minimum of KSh1,000 before providing treatment.
Undeterred, the victim’s supporters pushed forward with the case, contacting the Ministry of Health and filing the necessary paperwork with the police. Later, Officer Sharon used strategic deception to summon the employer to the police station under the false pretense that no evidence had been found. This prompted the accused rapist to appear, at which point he was arrested. It was revealed that the accused lived in the same compound as his sister, the employer, making the house a place of danger rather than safety for the victim.
On Tuesday, April 29, the police revisited the scene of the crime with the victim. Although the suspect’s family was present, the officers remained firm in their resolve. The case has sparked widespread anger and calls for reforms in the treatment of domestic workers, particularly migrant women, and better protocols for healthcare providers handling survivors of gender-based violence.
The victim, who is now safe, continues to receive support from those who aided her escape from an abusive situation. Without their quick actions, it is likely that the victim’s voice would have been silenced, but now, with the legal system taking action, there is hope for justice. The Law Society of Kenya has offered legal assistance to ensure the survivor’s rights are upheld and that those responsible for the abuse and mistreatment are held accountable.
