Kirinyaga Woman Rep Bails out Gen Zs from Poor Backgrounds Arrested During Protests
- Kirinyaga woman representative Njeri Maina provided legal representation to over 150 Gen Z across the country
- She asserted that her services are free for Gen Z arrested during Saba Saba and June 25 anniversary protests, and come from poor backgrounds
- The vocal politician also announced a paybill number through which Kenyans can channel contributions to assist in providing bail for arrested Gen Z
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Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and Current Affairs in Kenya
The Kirinyaga woman representative and lawyer Njeri Maina has announced her move to assist Gen Z who were arrested during the June 25 anniversary and July 7 Saba Saba protests.
Source: Getty Images
In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, on July 19, Njeri stated that she is offering free legal services to ensure that youth from poor families who were arrested during protests are represented in court.
"I’m on record for over 150 Gen-Zs across the counties. I’ve camped at Kahawa Law Courts over the past two weeks, attending court on a nearly daily basis from 9 am - 6 pm. Most of that time has been spent on my feet and with a 5-10 minute break," the statement read in part.
Why is Njeri Maina providing pro bono services to Gen Z?
Njeri stated that she offers the services out of her commitment to serve and protect the country's constitution.
She further called out cases where Gen Z were charged with terrorism due to their participation in protests in their quest for justice.
"It is a glaring concern that young people are being branded as terrorists in their own country, an even worse atrocity is that the state is applying to hold them for 14, 21, 30 days or an unspecified amount of time in their applications. Notably, those charged under POTA can be held for up to 360 days. Which is why it is currently a favourite with the DPP," Njeri Maina added.
Njeri stated that issuing Gen Z aged between 18-23 with terrorism charges traumatises them.
She stated that the move is an attempt to criminalise the young people’s dissent and deter any future attempt to exercise art.
"It is downright cruel that those young persons are being remanded in Maximum Prison facilities, with more restrictions on access by their families and within the vicinity of convicted offenders. The majority of those Gen-Zs come from underprivileged families and have been unable to raise bail, ranging from KSh 50,000 to as high as KSh 300,000," Njeri argued.
How can Kenyans help in bailing out Gen Z?
The politician further took it to her social media platforms to announce a paybill number that Kenyans can use to bail out protesters from poor backgrounds.
"Hello everyone, regarding the cash bail for all Gen-Zs held in our maximum security prisons because they come from underprivileged families, we are ONLY raising funds through: Cash bail till: 6658137, Name: Phillip Murimi Njuki, Mpesa number (for diaspora only): 0721602385Name: Phillip Murimi Njuki," Njeri Maina said.
The lawyer further updated her followers, stating that Kenyans had been able to raise approximately KSh 997,527 as of 2 pm.
Additionally, she extended her gratitude to Kenyans for supporting the arrested Gen Z through their contributions.
Youth arrested during Saba Saba demos get harsh bail
Njeri's announcement comes days after the mums of Gen Z arrested during Saba Saba protests wailed in anguish after their children received harsh bail terms.
Source: UGC
In a ruling made on Wednesday, July 16, the court stated that each suspect was required to pay a cash bail of KSh 100,000 or a post bond of KSh 300,000.
For many Gen Z from poor backgrounds, that amount of money was almost impossible to raise.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
