Busia Senator Okiyah Omtatah, along with 22 other protesters arrested in Nairobi on Monday, has been released on bond after a court ruling. Initially set at Ksh. 50,000 with a similar surety, the bond was significantly reduced to Ksh. 1,000 each as a gesture of goodwill for the New Year.
The group was detained in Nairobi’s Central Business District during demonstrations against the rising incidents of abductions and enforced disappearances targeting government critics. They were presented before Milimani Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi on Tuesday, facing charges of incitement to violence and civil disobedience.
During the court hearing, the defendants objected to the original bond amount, requesting a reduction to Ksh. 5,000 each, citing financial constraints exacerbated by New Year’s Eve celebrations. In contrast, the prosecution argued that the suspects posed a potential threat to national peace and stability, alleging that they had used social media to incite unrest.
The police had sought to hold the suspects for 14 days to complete their investigations, a move that was met with strong opposition from the defense team, which included prominent lawyers Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua. They advocated for the release of the accused on a free bond.
In the end, the court ruled in favor of a reduced cash bail of Ksh. 1,000 per person. Additionally, the Law Society of Kenya has committed to covering the bail for all 23 individuals as a show of solidarity.
As part of the court’s order, the protesters’ mobile phones will remain in police custody until the next case mention scheduled for January 21.
