By Dennis Matara and Evans Maritim.
Starehe Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Njagua Kanyi will spend the second night behind bars pending a court ruling on Friday, June 28 whether he will be freed on cash bail, the Milimani Law Courts ordered on Thursday, June 27.
Kanyi, popularly known as Jaguar, was arraigned early Thursday over allegations that he made xenophobic remarks against Tanzanian and Ugandan traders working in Nairobi.
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Jaguar was arrested on Wednesday within parliament buildings
The Prosecution, led by Duncan Ondimu, had requested for 14 days to detain the suspect to allow detectives time to collect sufficient evidence against the first-time lawmaker.
“The respondent is an influential person, and if [he is] released, he may interfere with the ongoing investigations,” Ondimu told the High Court.
The parliamentarian’s mobile device was among some of the property taken from him by detectives to aid in the ongoing probe.
On Monday, June 24, Jaguar triggered a diplomatic spat between Kenya and Tanzania when he asked Starehe Constituency traders to “beat up” and “kick out” Tanzanians and Ugandans from the city markets.
The MP accused the foreign business operators of “taking over our markets, and rendering our people jobless”.
Jaguar will be detained at Kileleshwa Police Station.
