Embakasi East MP Babu Owino was arrested at the Milimani Law Courts as his lawyers were processing his cash bail, his legal team has claimed.
Babu had earlier been released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 in a case where, together with six others, he is charged in connection with opposition-led anti-government protests.
“Somebody who was within the jurisdiction of the court has been whisked away after being admitted to bail. Where is the Chief Justice? Why is Martha Koome allowing this to happen?” His advocate Ndegwa Njiru has said.
While delivering a ruling on Friday, Chief Magistrate Lukas Onyina noted that the prosecution had not established a reason to deny the accused persons bail.
The court also observed that the prosecution did not establish which of the accused persons would interfere with investigations into the case.
Owino together with Calvina Okoth Otieno alias Gaucho, Tom Ondongo Ong’udi, Michael Otieno Omondi, Pascal Ouma, Kevin Wambo and Willys Owino Baraka were on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit subversive activities.
They denied the charges.
Babu Owino was on Tuesday night arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and taken to Wang’uru Police Station in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, ahead of the Wednesday protests by the Azimio coalition.
He was on Thursday transferred to the Nairobi Area Traffic Police Headquarters after his family members and lawyers stormed the Wang’uru station demanding his release and was later in the day arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts where he was charged.
His legal team applied for his release, arguing that he had been unlawfully arrested and detained and that the charges preferred against him could not be substantiated.
