By Carolyne Atieno
Hundreds of young protesters gathered outside the Redeemed Gospel Church in Buruburu, Nairobi, on Sunday, October 4, demanding justice for a young woman identified as Jahenda following the viral spread of a video showing her being bullied and physically assaulted by a group of women.
The video, which has circulated widely across social media platforms, appears to show Jahenda cornered inside a nightclub washroom. In the footage, several women are seen surrounding her, shouting threats, issuing orders, and physically assaulting her.
The video triggered widespread public outrage, with online users calling for immediate police investigations and accountability. The protest outside the Buruburu church was organized after online users linked one of the women in the video to the congregation.
Demonstrators chanted Jahenda’s name and demanded swift action against the perpetrators. Police officers were deployed to the venue as tensions mounted. To disperse the crowd and clear a exit route for worshippers inside the church, police reportedly fired into the air and used teargas.
Church and University Respond
In an official statement, the Redeemed Gospel Church expressed sadness over the incident and strongly condemned the assault, stating that bullying, intimidation, harassment, and violence run counter to its core values. The church emphasized that an individual’s affiliation with the congregation should not be used to shield anyone from legal accountability.
The demonstration was further fueled by online claims that one of the suspects is the daughter of a pastor at the church. However, Reverend Felix Kavoi strongly refuted the allegations.
“I don’t have any daughter studying at Riara University. Tell social media users they are wrong and have come to the wrong place. My daughters are grown-ups who are already working, and their names are well known,” Reverend Kavoi stated.
Meanwhile, Riara University confirmed that some of the women featured in the video are reportedly students at the institution. Condemning the act, the university announced an internal investigation under its student code of conduct. The administration added that while the incident occurred off-campus, acts of violence, intimidation, and bullying contradict the university’s values.
Apologies and Ongoing Investigations
Following the outrage, some of the women involved posted public apologies on their social media accounts. However, another individual involved reportedly remained unrepentant, claiming online that she would face no consequences.
The full context of the incident including events leading up to and following the recorded footage remains unconfirmed. As official inquiries continue, members of the public are urged to refrain from spreading unverified information or misidentifying individuals, and instead allow law enforcement and institutions to establish the facts.
At the time of publication, no formal criminal charges against the women had been confirmed by authorities.