A car dealer who allegedly locked up a client inside his office overnight after she failed to pay car rental fees has been charged with wrongful confinement in contravention of section 263 of the Penal Code.
Martin Thuita Kerengo, 27, is accused of confining Ms Nancy Wangari Maina at his office at Bee Centre in Embakasi East, Nairobi on August 30, 2023.
Ms Maina had hired a car from Mr Kerengo for three days at a fee of Sh2,500 per day and extended for a day, raising the bill to Sh10,000.
Mr Kerengo traced the car to a church in Nairobi’s CBD where Ms Maina was attending a service and demanded payment but the client did not have money at the time.
She requested Mr Kerengo to leave with the car and wait for the payment later, but Mr Kerengo allegedly insisted that she accompanies him to his office. They drove to Bee Center where they proceeded to the accused person’s office around 10pm.
Upon arrival at the office, Mr Kerengo said the client either pays the money or surrenders her mobile phone which she would collect upon full payment of the money.
When Ms Maina, the accused allegedly locked her up inside his office overnight and only returned the following day, when Mr Kerengo’s employees opened the office in the morning to find Ms Maina inside.
Ms Maina informed her family and the matter was reported to the police. Police officers proceeded to Mr Kerengo’s office where they arrested him and rescued Ms Maina.
The accused denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Mary Njagi of the Makadara Law Courts and pleaded for lenient bail and bond terms through an advocate. He was granted a cash bail of Sh50,000.
The accused will in addition, avail a contact person who will guarantee his attendance to court. The matter will be mentioned on December 8, 2023 before hearing starts on May 16, 2024.
