Isiolo County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Roba has been freed on bail after spending two nights in police custody following his arrest in Nairobi earlier this week.
Roba appeared before the Mavoko Law Courts in Machakos County on Thursday, where Senior Principal Magistrate Derrick Kuto released him on a cash bail of Sh100,000 or an alternative bond of Sh200,000 with a surety of the same amount. He pleaded not guilty to two charges.
The magistrate also lifted a warrant of arrest previously issued against him. Roba’s defence team had asked the court for lenient bail terms and the withdrawal of the warrant, a request the prosecution did not oppose.
“The accused person is released on a bond of Sh200,000 with a surety of a similar amount or cash bail of Sh100,000 with one contact person,” ruled Magistrate Kuto.
The case will be mentioned on September 11, 2025, with the hearing scheduled for October 29, 2025. The court further directed that Roba’s personal vehicle, laptop, and mobile phone seized during his arrest be returned to him.
Roba faces two counts as outlined in the charge sheet. The first relates to the unlawful use of two county government vehicles, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TXL and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VXL, between July 18 and August 19, 2025, at Syokimau in Athi River. The second charge alleges that on July 20, 2025, he wilfully obstructed a police officer by mobilizing individuals to prevent the repossession of one of the vehicles.
Magistrate Kuto declined a defence request to defer plea-taking, ruling that the charge sheet was not defective. He also clarified that a previous High Court order barring Roba’s arrest in Isiolo did not extend to the current case.
The court advised Roba to lodge complaints over alleged police assault during his arrest with the appropriate authorities.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had earlier approved Roba’s arrest and prosecution through a letter dated August 1, 2025. Several police officers are listed as key witnesses in the case.
