Grace Njoki, Woman Who Stormed CS Barasa's Address, Claims Police Wanted To Abduct Her

Hours after she was arrested, Grace Njoki Mulei, one of the women who stormed Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa's press briefing at Afya House last week, has been released on a Ksh10,000 police cash bail. 

Addressing journalists on Friday morning, January 24, Njoki narrated her ordeal at the hands of the police officers, accusing them of arresting her without giving a reason, which was against her rights.

Njoki revealed that she had gone to Ladnan Hospital in Nairobi to seek treatment before her arrest when she noticed what she described as a security guard who had followed her from Kenyatta Hospital to Ladnan Hospital.

She explained to the individual the purpose of her visit to Ladnan Hospital, and she expressed uneasiness even as he claimed to have a patient. Less than 10 minutes later, two people, a man and a woman, approached her and told her to surrender or face arrest.

"They told me they wanted to take me somewhere. I asked them what I had done, why they were arresting me and where they were taking me but they refused to tell me. They told me they were not arresting me, then I asked them why do they want me to go with them?” Njoki narrated.

"They told me upende usipende, utaenda (whether you like it or not, you will come with us). I felt threatened and I asked the lady 'Why are you coming for me? why are you arresting me?' they did not clarify. They just told me that whether I liked it or not, know that I'll come with them."

Upon realising that the goal was not to arrest her but to abduct her, the 61-year-old disclosed that she immediately informed her son and husband about the incident. However, the armed officers quickly took away her phone and barred her from reaching out to any of her family members and her lawyers.

Njoki said that despite attempts by health workers in the hospital to intervene, about 20 police officers she claimed were from Pangani Police Station forcefully took her away.

“I was carried away by force out of the hospital where I had gone to receive treatment. I was dragged, pinched and bullied. All through they never told me why they were arresting me, where they were taking me,” Njoki lamented.

“They insisted that I should write a statement but they had not told me anything. All through that time, I felt threatened because I suffered from a heart attack.”

Njoki revealed that after her arrest, the officers took her around the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) to three different buildings before taking her to Capital Hill Police Station, where she spent the night awaiting her arraignment today.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed the arrest on Thursday, January 23, revealing that she was tracked down to Hombe Road, off Juja Road, and apprehended.

Njoki's lawyer Ndegwa Njiru who was accompanied by former Governor Mike Sonko revealed that the police were unsure of the charges to press against her.  "They said they would continue with the investigations. This is a botched scheme that's why they cannot prefer a court date," he said.