The legislator in court on a previous charge/FILE
KISUMU, Kenya, Nov 13 – Warrants of arrest have been issued for Kisumu Senator Fred Outa and former Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga for failing to appear before the Kisumu Law Courts for mention of a case.
Chief Magistrate Julius Ng’arng’ar issued the warrants Monday after the duo failed to show up for the mention of a case in which they are accused of disrupting a training session for Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) election staff.
Advocate Verah Onsongo who was representing the accused told the court that Senator Outa could not be reached on phone while Ruth Odinga was unwell.
However Ng’arng’ar went ahead to issue the warrants saying the two were granted bail on the grounds that they would be able to attend court sessions.
Outa and Odinga faced five counts of entering in an electoral area designated by IEBC without authority, obstructing an elections officer from executing lawful duty, stealing 94 plastic chairs and 11 tents valued at Sh92,500 and malicious damage to property.
Senator Outa has a separate charge of incitement to violence by ordering youths to destroy equipment used during the training.
The duo had been arraigned in court on October 23 and denied the charges and were released on personal bonds of Sh500,000 each.
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