It was song and dance at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi after the eight legislators facing hate speech and incitement to violence charges were released on bond.
The elated Jubilee and CORD lawmakers and their supporters took to the floor of the court dancing, hugging and conversing after Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo released them on bail terms after spending four days in custody.
The lawmakers, Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete), Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi Women Rep), Florence Mutua (Busia Women Rep) and Senator Johnstone Muthama (Machakos) denied charges of hate speech and incitement and were released on bail terms.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and his Kabete counterpart Ferdinand Waititu were granted a Ksh5 million bond each with an alternative of Ksh2 million cash bail after the magistrate said they have pending cases that are almost similar to the one they are facing.
Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama and MPs Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi woman rep) and Florence Mutua (Busia woman rep) were released on a Sh1 million bond with an alternative cash bail of Sh300,000.
The cases will be heard in different courts on August 25. The state had earlier opposed the release of the politicians on bail citing public interest.
In their submissions, prosecution lawyer Leonard Maingi said “the entire fabric of the nation is threatened”.
He argued that the accused are likely to repeat the offences, and asked the court to consider the strike a balance between the interests of the accused and those of the nation.
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