Kirinyaga Woman Rep Njeri Maina to take legal action against attackers

Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina now says she will press charges against individuals who assaulted her on Tuesday.

Njeri's lawyer, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, made the announcement on Friday moments after she recorded a statement on the same at the offices of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kerugoya.  

Amollo said the suit will focus on three primary matters; pursuing both criminal and civil charges against those who attacked Njeri, and highlighting that the assault on the legislator occurred within the premises of a police station.

"The first aspect is the criminal prosecution for this heinous act. The second relates to her injuries but now not to the criminal file but to the civil matter. The third aspect is that Maina was actually injured within the vicinity of a police station," he said.

While underscoring that there is no room for political thuggery in Kenya, Amollo noted that he expects the DCI to swiftly conclude investigations into the incident since Njeri's attackers are reportedly known to her.

"She knows those who caused this, she knows those who sent them and we are going to sue them for the suffering that she has gone through," he said.

On her part, Njeri expressed confidence that her attackers would be brought to book by the law enforcement authorities while urging Kirinyaga youth to not allow themselves to be used as political weapons by politicians.

Njeri was assaulted on Tuesday after two groups supporting rival political factions clashed at the Kerugoya Police Station.

Njeri, who is a lawyer by profession, had accompanied her client Baragwi MCA David Mathenge to the station to record a statement over allegations of vandalizing a county government water project at Mukandu-ini village last week.

After her client recorded the statement, Njeri addressed journalist noting that she would represent the MCA if he was taken to court.

Chaos however erupted when suspected goons said to be aligned to Waiguru showed up to interrupt the presser, attacking supporters of the Woman Representative and the MCA in the process.

National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi has since urged the DCI to begin probe into the attack on Njeri by knocking on the doors of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, since the attackers have been said to have been acting on behalf of the county government.