Ajenda Statement on Adelle Omondi Drugging Incident In Mash Poa Bus

We are angered and appalled by the recent incident involving Adelle Omondi, who was drugged aboard a Mash Poa bus traveling from Nairobi to Mombasa. She later woke up in hospital, stripped of her dignity, her underwear, and all her valuables. Adelle was seated at number 37, yet Mash Poa claims they cannot identify her seatmate at number 38 despite requiring passengers to provide ID, phone numbers, and personal details during booking. This is more than negligence; this is a criminal act. Drugging, theft, and potential sexual assault must never be met with silence or cover-up. Mash Poa's refusal to release passenger details raises serious concerns about their booking system, safety protocols, and accountability.

We are also disturbed that this incident comes only days after the Cabinet Secretary nominee for Gender, Hannah Cheptumo, claimed during her vetting that females are being defiled and killed because they are chasing money. Such careless, victim-blaming comments reflect a deeper rot in how women's safety is perceived in this country.

Let it be known: Adelle was not chasing money. She was traveling. She was living her life. She deserved safety. She deserved dignity.

We call on:

• The National Police Service to investigate this incident urgently as a criminal matter.
• Mash Poa to fully cooperate by providing the bus manifest, booking records, and staff for questioning.
• The Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Heritage to publicly condemn this violation and act to protect women in public spaces.

We refuse to be gaslit into silence. We will not allow corporations or institutions to bury this under bureaucracy or indifference. We stand with Adelle and with every woman who has suffered in silence, been dismissed, doubted, or blamed.

This is not an isolated incident. It is a reflection of deeply rooted misogyny, unchecked impunity, and a system that continues to fail women.

Executive Director, Ajenda Kenya
Otieno Obiero