Manyatta Member of Parliament and two co-accused persons were on Thursday released on cash bail by a Nairobi court following their arraignment on charges linked to recent anti-government protests. Senior Principal Magistrate Kipkemoi Koech granted each of the three a cash bail of Ksh 300,000 or an alternative bond of Ksh 1 million.
The MP and one of the accused were permitted to seek medical attention at hospitals of their choice after their lawyers cited health concerns. The third respondent, however, will remain in custody at Muthaiga Police Station until their bail is processed.
The case comes amid heightened political tensions and civil unrest in various parts of the country, triggered by nationwide demonstrations on June 25 and July 7. The protests, which swept across multiple counties, were largely driven by youth-led movements calling for government accountability and reforms.
In a separate but related case, 36 individuals arrested during those demonstrations were arraigned before Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage on Thursday. The suspects ten from Machakos County and twenty-six from Kiambu County faced terrorism-related charges including destruction of public and private property and causing bodily harm to law enforcement officers.
The prosecution cited the severity of the charges and argued against releasing the accused on bail. However, defence lawyers maintained their clients’ innocence, emphasizing their constitutional right to bail and the political context of the arrests.
Magistrate Kiage deferred the ruling on their bail application to Wednesday next week, leaving the 36 in remand for at least six more days.
The developments have sparked fresh debate on the state’s handling of dissent and the criminalisation of protests, with human rights groups calling for fair judicial processes and condemning what they term as excessive use of anti-terror laws.
As the legal battles unfold, all eyes remain on the judiciary’s next steps, which could set significant precedents in how Kenya balances national security concerns with civil liberties in the wake of growing public discontent.
