A court in Nairobi is set to hear a case involving an American national accused of raping a 19-year-old Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student following a meeting arranged through the Tinder dating application.King Nwachukwu appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul at the Kibera Law Courts, where he pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
He was arrested after the student reported the incident at Parklands Police Station.
The two are said to have connected on Tinder before agreeing to meet at GTC Residence in Westlands, Nairobi.
According to the prosecution, the meeting later took an alleged violent turn.
Police told the court that Nwachukwu allegedly took the student’s belongings before dragging her into a bedroom.
The prosecution further alleged that the student was sexually assaulted several times without her consent.
The student told investigators that the alleged incident continued after she declined further sexual engagement.
She reportedly told police that she was subjected to additional physical violations before being forced to take a shower.
She also alleged that she was made to ingest unidentified pills and was later chased out of the apartment. The student subsequently went to Parklands Police Station and made a report, leading to investigations and the eventual arrest of Nwachukwu.
The prosecution has filed a main charge of rape against the accused, together with an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with an adult.
Nwachukwu denied the allegations when he appeared in court. The case will now proceed through the normal court process, where evidence and submissions from both sides will be considered.
During Monday’s proceedings, Magistrate Abdul directed that a miscellaneous application connected to the matter be closed. The magistrate explained that she had already heard the application and would therefore issue directions for the miscellaneous file to be closed.
The court directed that the main case be mentioned on August 31 before another court. The same date will be used to consider Nwachukwu’s formal bond application.
A pre-bail report is also expected to be presented to the court. The report will assist the court when considering the application for his release on bond.Until the bond application is heard and determined, Nwachukwu will remain in custody.
Meanwhile, the student has appealed to other women who may have interacted with Nwachukwu under similar circumstances to come forward and assist investigators.
The appeal is intended to help police establish whether there are other complaints that could be relevant to the ongoing investigations.
The allegations have not been proven in court. Nwachukwu remains presumed innocent unless and until the court determines otherwise.
