30 goons hold Passaris hostage at UoN

juma chrispinus

May 13, 2017 1:32 PM

Her car was smashed by stones and her bodyguards beaten up

Nairobi woman rep aspirant Esther Passaris has narrated horrifying ordeal that she went through in the hands of her kidnappers.

Friday evening, Passaris has claimed, 30 goons attacked her and roughed up her bodyguards at the University of Nairobi compounds at a time she was invited to deliver a motivational talk to Women Students Welfare Association.

Through her Twitter handle, Passaris claimed: "They blocked my entry, roughed up my bodyguards,"

Passaris claimed that the goons were led by a former student, who demanded a Sh150,000 ransom.

"...the student is also an aspirant for MCA. I refused to pay them to enter but they got rougher and rougher, hurling insults, threatening violence," she said.

She added: "They attacked us, broke the door handles of my car, side mirrors and threatened to burn the car."

Passaris said the gang grabbed her handbag and roughed up her bodyguards.

"They found nothing but now they got incensed. They stoned the car, blocked our passage with rocks, shouting abuses at me," she said.

The Nairobi businesswoman said she managed to call the police and managed to get away.

"We sought refuge at Kileleshwa Police Station. Though the MCA aspirant was arrested later, the threat of violence still remains a central part of these elections," she said.

Passaris asked the police to protect Women aspirants as Kenya heads into August polls.

Passaris beat five opponents to get 65,104 votes for the Nairobi woman representative ticket in the ODM primaries. She will battle for the women representative seat with Jubilee's Rachel Shebesh.

"The dangers that women aspirants face even within institutions is far from acceptable. Something must be done," Passaris said.

"I ask the National Police Service, and the IEBC that even as they prepare for the elections, they must take measures. Protect women," she added.

Also read: DCI officer strangled and slashed to death

Nairobi county commander Japheth Koome has confirmed that indeed Passaris had lodged a formal complaint at the Kileleshwa police station. He however said that she had not recorded a statement to that effect.

juma chrispinus