NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 21 – Twenty-three individuals, including Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who were arrested during anti-abduction protests in Nairobi, failed to take a plea for the second time when they were arraigned before a Nairobi law court.
The prosecution informed the court that the case file was still with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Senator Omtatah and the other 22 suspects were released on December 31 of last year after Milimani Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi refused to grant a request by the National Police Service to detain the suspects for 14 days to allow for the investigation of allegations of incitement to violence and civil disobedience.
The investigating officer had submitted that more time was needed to analyze the suspects’ mobile phones, including extracting data from WhatsApp, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and photographs taken while allegedly inciting members of the public.
“The respondents are a threat to peace and stability of the counrt as they continously incite members of the public via social media platforms, and will cause disharmony if released, DCI officer Anthony Kerini said in an affidavit.
The High Court sitting on January 21 ordered the release of the phones seized from the 23 individuals arrested on December 30, 2024.
The case will be mentioned on March 3, 2025.
