Anguish, tears, and cries of desperation filled the air outside Thika Law Courts on Wednesday, as 58 suspects arrested during the Saba Saba protests were ordered to pay Ksh.100,000 bail each or post a Ksh.300,000 bond—a crushing blow for families already grappling with poverty.
From behind cell gates, the suspects shouted, wept, and pounded on the iron bars, pleading for freedom. On the outside, heartbroken parents—mostly mothers—screamed in frustration. Some even threatened to undress in protest, while others boarded police vehicles, determined to accompany their children to remand.
The group faces a capital offence—robbery with violence—in connection to a dramatic looting incident during the July 7 Saba Saba protests. According to the charge sheet, the suspects are accused of violently robbing John Okeyo Otieno, the manager of Mathai Supermarket in Juja, and stealing goods valued at over Ksh.8.7 million.
The court, however, remained unmoved by the visible desperation, upholding the stringent bail terms, which many families called “impossible and discriminatory.”
