Nairobi: Court Orders Police to Buy Milk, Loaves of Bread for Remandees as Punishment
- Four police officers avoided jail for missing court by handing out food and supplies to remandees and court attendees
- Two journalists from Nation Media were summoned for reporting details the court said could prejudice an ongoing high-profile murder case
- The chief justice has authorised special recess hearings to speed up the Ahmed Rashid trial that has dragged on for nearly a decade
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TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
In a twist that left many surprised, a Nairobi court swapped handcuffs for handouts as four police officers dodged jail time for contempt.
Source: UGC
The officers had failed to appear in court to testify against their colleague, Ahmed Rashid, a police officer accused of killing two young men in 2017.
Why did police buy milk, bread for remandees?
Only one of the six officers scheduled to testify showed up, and although the others risked a three-month jail term or a KSh 10,000 fine, the judge handed down a very different sentence.
Presiding Judge Diana Kavedza accepted the officers' apologies but insisted their absence could not go unpunished.
As a consequence, they were ordered to provide loaves of bread, packets of milk, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soaps, and other basic supplies to remandees and those present in the courtroom.
"That is the punishment you pay for not coming to court. Go bring one bar soap, one tissue and a small toothpaste," she added.
The unusual sentence brought a moment of lightness to an otherwise tense environment, with remandees smiling as they received the unexpected gifts.
Were Nation Media journalists summoned by court?
But the day’s surprises did not end there. The court summoned two journalists from Nation Media Group, Cynthia Makena and Nicholas Njoroge.
This was over a news article that claimed a witness had directly identified Rashid as the officer who shot one of the victims, allegedly while he was handcuffed.
The court said the article risked distorting public perception of the case and could influence how the eventual verdict would be received.
Judge Kavedza stated that both reporters must appear in court on August 18.
Rashid's lawyer also expressed concern, saying that such reporting undermined the presumption of innocence and could cast doubt on the integrity of the court’s final ruling.
"That information was aimed at making the public believe that Rashid shot somebody, so that when the judge will find him innocent, the public will say the judge ignored the evidence," lamented Danstan Omari, Rashid's lawyer.
Source: Facebook
Did Ahmed Rashid shoot 2 Eastleigh men?
To further speed up the stalled trial, Chief Justice Martha Koome authorised court sittings through the current judicial recess.
The case, which began in 2017, has dragged on for nine years with multiple delays.
When proceedings resume on August 21, the court plans to hear from at least 21 witnesses within four days.
Rashid, then stationed at Pangani Police Station, is accused of fatally shooting two young men in Eastleigh during an incident that sparked public outrage and raised questions about police accountability.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
