This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
On July 17, 2020, a sensational story emerged about a police officer being found with a COVID-19 patient at an isolation centre in Busia. The incident sparked allegations of rape, but a closer look at the facts reveals a more nuanced story.
A police officer, identified as Constable Emmanuel Ng'etich, was arrested at the Agriculture Training College (ATC) isolation centre after his colleagues found him in bed with a patient. The centre, which admits patients from the Busia GK Prisons and the nearby community, is guarded by three prison warders and three police officers.
According to reports, Constable Ng'etich had hit it off with one of the patients and started a conversation at around 10 PM. The conversation reportedly led to them ending up in bed, but the circumstances surrounding their encounter are disputed.
While some patients claimed the two were engaging in consensual sex, others accused the police officer of rape. However, it appears that the story changed after the lady realised they had been found out.
Despite the controversy, it is clear that Constable Ng'etich breached the code of a police officer by engaging in a romantic encounter with a patient. However, the allegations of rape remain disputed, and it is not clear what actually transpired between the two individuals.
