Embakasi East Member of Parliament Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino and six other persons, who were charged with a conspiracy to commit subversive activities on Thursday, July 20, have been granted bail.
In a ruling delivered on Friday morning, Milimani Chief Magistrate Lukas Onyina released the accused persons on a Ksh200,000 bond or an alternative Ksh100,000 cash bail each.
The magistrate said there were no compelling reasons to deny the suspects bail.
“A holistic look at the affidavit does not disclose compelling reasons to deny the accused persons bond, each of the accused persons is granted bond of Sh200,000 with an alternative cash bail of Sh100,000,” the magistrate ruled.
Babu Owino was presented in court alongside self-declared Bunge la Mwananchi President Calvin Okoth Otieno alias Gaucho and five others on Thursday.
The other five suspects are Tom Odondo, Michael Otieno, Pascal Ouma, Kevin Wambo and Willys Owino.
The suspects were charged with conspiring to commit subversive activities over their alleged role in planning ongoing anti-government protests. They entered a not-guilty plea.
According to the prosecution, the suspects committed the offence on dates between July 7 and 23, 2023 with others who were not in court within Nairobi County.
Prosecution opposes Babu Owino's release
The prosecution opposed the suspects' release on bail, saying they were a threat to national security.
The presiding magistrate directed police to escort Babu Owino who was said to be sick to the hospital for medication pending today's bail ruling.
"The first accused will be escorted to the hospital for medical attention. The rest of the accused persons will be remanded at Kileleshwa Police Station until tomorrow," Onyina ruled.
The MP was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after landing from Mombasa on Tuesday night and taken to Wang’uru Police Station in Mwea, Kirinyaga County.
He was escorted to Nairobi under tight security on Thursday.
