Nairobi — Police in Takaba, Mandera County, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) are facing sharp criticism over alleged attempts to cover up the defilement of a six-year-old girl, even as medical records confirm the child sustained injuries consistent with sexual assault.
A medical report from Takaba Sub-County Referral Hospital, dated October 27, 2025, indicates that the minor was examined following allegations of defilement.
The clinical findings detail bruises and swelling in the genital area and confirm physical evidence consistent with sexual abuse.
The report was issued following the mother's complaint that her daughter had been defiled by a man identified as Adan Mohammed Sheikh, who remains at large.
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Outrage erupted online after journalist and activist Hanifa Adan posted an emotional appeal on Sunday demanding justice for the victim, accusing local authorities of colluding with community elders to shield the suspect.
"The rapist is still at large, protected by his family and the council of elders famously known as Maslaha, who are trying to solve the case through ADR," she wrote.
"The mother is devastated. They're being stigmatized and terrorized by the elders while the perpetrator is still enjoying his life. Takaba Police Station and the DPP office are a bunch of toothless dogs controlled by the Maslaha," she said, calling for national attention to the case.
Infamous Maslaha system
The Maslaha system, a traditional dispute resolution mechanism widely practiced in northern Kenya, has previously drawn criticism from rights groups for allegedly undermining formal justice, particularly in cases of gender-based violence.
Efforts to reach Takaba Police Station for comment were unsuccessful, while officers at the Mandera County Police Command said they were yet to receive official communication from the sub-county team on the case.
The ODPP Mandera Office did not comment on the matter.
Activists are now calling for the immediate arrest of the suspect and protection for the victim's family, warning that continued reliance on traditional arbitration in such cases violates the Sexual Offences Act and Kenya's Children's Act.
