Three bodyguards attached to Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua, who were arrested on Sunday evening over allegations of taking part in the anti-government demonstrations in Nairobi, have been released on Ksh5,000 police bond each, lawyer John Khaminwa says.
The bodyguards, Daniel Tabu, Joseph Mwongela and Ronald Otieno, were released at around 10:00 am on Monday, March 27, after spending the entire night at Nairobi's Central Police Station.
According to Khaminwa, the three security officers were granted bail by the station's OCS pending notification on a date to appear in court to be charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly.
The guards, Khaminwa said, were arrested shortly after being dropped at Globe roundabout at around 7:00 pm, bundled into a police Land Cruiser and taken to a Central Police station for interrogation.
"Karua was with them at a church service during the day and were dropped at Globe roundabout. It was immediately after that she was told that her bodyguard had been arrested," Khaminwa said.
Immediately after their arrest, Karua, a co-principal in the opposition's Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition, directed lawyer Khaminwa to seek their release from custody.
The counsel claims he camped at the Central Police Station from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm seeking to have the officers released on a personal bond but his efforts were futile.
After unsuccessful attempts to secure the officers' freedom, Khaminwa says he wrote a letter to the OCS demanding release of the suspects on police bond pending their prosecution.
"The suspects are in custody at Central Police Station since yesterday (Sunday). Some of them are Muslims. It is our respectful submissions that in absence of exceptional circumstances, they must be granted personal bond during this holy month of Ramadan so that their right to worship is not interfered with," Khaminwa's letter read in part.
Further, the lawyer noted that failure to grant them bail he would petition the High Court for contempt orders.
Minutes after the station's OCS received the letter he ordered that the three officers be released
on Ksh5,000 each pending their summoning and arraignment in court.
Upon their release, Khaminwa revealed intentions to lodge a lawsuit challenging the trio's arrest and the intended prosecution.
According to Khaminwa, the arrest of the security officers was illegal and solely intended to intimidate Azimio leaders from engaging in Monday's demonstrations organised by the coalition's leader Raila Odinga.
"The officers had just been dropped and they were was no unlawful assembly at all. In fact, Karua will testify in court to prove they did not participate in any unlawful assembly as alleged by police," Khaminwa added.
The arrest of Karua's bodyguards came hours after the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome on Sunday issued a statement confirming the withdrawal of security detail of a section of leaders allied to the opposition.
Koome explained that the National Police Service (NPS) withdrew the leaders’ security over their involvement in the anti-government protests.
Some of the lawmakers whose bodyguards were withdrawn include National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi and Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino.
