Homa Bay: Chaos as Police Re-Arrest Suspects in Mawego Police Station Arson Attack
- A dramatic scene unfolded at the Oyugis Law Courts when police moved to re-arrest eight suspects in the Mawego Police Station arson attack
- This incident caused an irate crowd to block the court entrance in a bid to prevent the police officers from leaving the premises with the suspects
- Despite the efforts showcased by the residents, the police ferried the suspects to Nairobi, where new charges will be pressed against them
Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and Current Affairs in Kenya
Homa Bay: A dramatic scene was witnessed at the Oyugis Law Courts in Rachuonyo sub-county after an irate crowd attempted to block the re-arrest of Mawego Police Station arson attack suspects.
Source: Facebook
The police station is where blogger Albert Ojwang was first detained before being transported to the Nairobi Central Police Station, where he died.
The police had to use force to disperse the crowd that had barricaded the court entrance, preventing the vehicle carrying the suspects from leaving the premises.
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Were Mawego Police Station arson suspects taken to Nairobi?
According to a report by the Nation, the suspects who had been initially charged with malicious damage to properties were rearrested and driven to Nairobi under tight security.
According to a statement released by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the eight suspects were reportedly the ones who orchestrated the arson attack.
The suspects who were identified as Kennedy Oluoch Oluoch, Nicholas Otieno, Tofiq Owiti Mohamed, Michael Omondi Opiyo, David Bill Clinton Otieno, Robert Ouko Abala, Samuel Ouma Odhiambo, and Erick Obunga Osumba were arrested and detained on July 7.
Will suspects be charged with terrorism?
The charges that had been initially pressed against the suspects included arson, theft of personal items belonging to police officers and malicious property damage.
However, in a drastic turn of events, their files were closed, and the suspects were arrested and driven to Nairobi, where the authorities plan to charge them with terrorism.
The DCI stated that all eight suspects had initially not pleaded guilty to the charges that had been pressed against them.
Why was Mawego Police Station set on fire?
The re-arresting of the suspects comes days after the Mawego Police Station was set on fire by residents demanding justice for Ojwang's death.
This occurred on July 3, a day after a requiem mass was held for the late blogger at the Ridgeways Baptist Church, Nairobi.
Source: Facebook
After setting the station on fire, they marched on the streets of Homa Bay as they carried the deceased's casket back to his home.
The large crowd was heard chanting in protest as they lamented over the circumstances surrounding the blogger's death in police custody.
Photos showed the station engulfed in flames as police officers watched helplessly from a distance as they contemplated their next move.
Ojwang's body had just been airlifted to Homa Bay for the burial ceremony when the incident happened.
Those who attended the teacher's requiem mass included the former Public Service Cabinet secretary Justin Muturi and Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
