Grace Njoki, the woman who was arrested for allegedly disrupting Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa’s press conference on Monday, January 20, has opened up about her harrowing experience with police officers.
Speaking to journalists on Friday morning, shortly after being released on a Ksh10,000 bail, Njoki accused the police of violating her rights by arresting her without providing any clear reason for their actions.
Recalling the events, Njoki revealed that she was arrested while seeking treatment at Ladnan Hospital in Nairobi. She explained that while waiting in one of the hospital rooms, she noticed a suspicious man following her. She claimed the man had been trailing her from Kenyatta National Hospital to Ladnan Hospital.
Not long after spotting the man, Njoki stated that two individuals, a man and a woman, approached her and demanded that she surrender or face arrest.
“I asked them why they were arresting me and where they planned to take me, but they refused to give me any answers. They insisted they were not arresting me,” Njoki explained.
Sensing that there was a calculated effort to detain her, the 61-year-old immediately tried to alert her son and husband. However, her attempts were thwarted when the officers quickly confiscated her phone, preventing her from contacting her family or her lawyer.
Despite interventions from health workers at the hospital, Njoki alleged that approximately 20 police officers, who she claimed were from Pangani Police Station, forcibly dragged her out of the hospital.
“They forcefully carried me out of the hospital where I had gone to receive treatment. I was dragged, pinched, and harassed. At no point did they explain why I was being arrested,” she lamented.
The ordeal took a toll on her health, and Njoki disclosed that she suffered a heart attack during the confrontation. The officers reportedly insisted that she write a statement, despite refusing to disclose any charges against her.
Following her arrest, Njoki said she was taken to three different buildings before finally being transported to Capital Hill Police Station, where she spent the night ahead of her court appearance.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed her arrest on Thursday, January 23. They revealed that Njoki had been tracked down to Hombe Road, off Juja Road, and was apprehended for allegedly causing a disturbance.
Njoki’s experience has sparked concerns over the treatment of individuals by law enforcement and the apparent disregard for her rights during the arrest process.
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