- An American national has been detained in Nairobi over allegations of raping a JKUAT student he met on Tinder.
- King Nwachukwu has denied the charges before the Kibera Law Courts and has been remanded until August 31.
- Investigators have appealed to other women with similar experiences to come forward with information.
An American national is in custody in Nairobi after a 19-year-old student from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) accused him of rape following a meeting arranged through the dating app Tinder.
King Nwachukwu appeared before the Kibera Law Courts on Monday, where he denied the allegations levelled against him.
According to the prosecution, the student had connected with Nwachukwu on the dating platform before the two agreed to meet at GTC Residence in Westlands.
Police allege that the meeting turned violent, with Nwachukwu allegedly seizing the student’s belongings and forcing her into a bedroom.
The student subsequently reported that she was sexually assaulted without her consent on several occasions during the encounter.
She further alleged that when she declined further sexual activity, she was subjected to additional physical abuse.
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The prosecution also told the court that the student was allegedly forced to shower and ingest unidentified pills before being ordered to leave the apartment.
She reported the alleged ordeal at Parklands Police Station, triggering police investigations that culminated in Nwachukwu’s arrest.
He faces a main charge of rape, with an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with an adult.
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The court directed that the miscellaneous application be closed following the hearing, and scheduled the matter for August 31 before another court, when Nwachukwu’s formal bond application and a pre-bail report will be considered.
He is expected to remain in custody until that hearing.
Investigators have appealed to any other women who may have had similar encounters with the accused to come forward with information that could assist in establishing the circumstances surrounding the allegations.
The case remains ongoing, and the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
By Kithinji Njeru
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