NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 17- Ahmed Rashid, a police officer from Pangani, has been charged with the murder of two boys in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood five years ago.
Rashid who is accused of killing Jamal Mohamed and Mohamed Dahir Kheri on 4th Eastleigh Street, 1st Avenue, on March 31, 2017 was released on cash bail of Sh200,000 after he denied the charges leveled against him.
Rashid who appeared before justice Diana Mochache took plea on Monday after the court dismissed an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
The prosecution asked the court to remand him at Industrial Area pending a bail hearing however, Rashid’s lawyer Danstan Omari argued that doing so would endanger his life.
Omari had pleaded with the court to grant him a Sh100,000 cash bail, arguing that he had been out on police bond and he did not abscond.
Justice Mochache granted Rashid bond and argued that no complaint had been filed from the victims on interference or evidence tampering.
The ruling comes a month after the Independent Medico-Legal Unit, a human rights group expressed its dissatisfaction over the delay by the courts to prosecute Rashid over the murder.
The statement from IMLU came after the Milimani Law Courts deferred the plea hearing against the Pangani-based crime buster.
The rights lobby challenged the country’s judicial system to fast track cases of police brutality for the sake of justice to the victims.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. It’s unacceptable that cases of police brutality are taking years. The victims and their families deserve closure and accountability. The justice system needs to prioritize these cases and ensure that justice is served swiftly,” IMLU said.
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