Police want 21 days to detain Boniface Mwangi

Mwangi and his co-accused; Robert Otieno, Albert Wambugu, Pablo Chacha and Erot Franco, were arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on Friday morning on a miscellaneous application seeking more time to detain them.

They are accused of taking part in an unlawful assembly, creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace and false publication contrary to the law.

"That on 25th July, 2024 around 1130hrs or thereabout at Nairobi Central Business District, along Koinange street the respondents with others caused a breach of peace and inconvenienced other road users by blocking the road by placing one white coffin and seven white crosses with names inscribed on them," the court was told in documents seen by Citizen Digital.

In a supporting affidavit, the investigating officer told the court that investigations are ongoing and there is a need to establish where the white coffin and the white crosses were sourced from as well as establish their financier(s).

The mobile phones of the suspects have also been confiscated and are set to be subjected to cyber forensic for analysis, the court was told.

The prosecution further argues that the respondents' place of abode is still unascertained thus releasing them may jeopardise the investigations.

"THAT, it is in light of the foregoing that I pray this Honourable Court to issue custodial orders authorizing holding of the Respondents in the Applicant's custody for twenty-one (21) days to enable the Applicant conclude its investigations," submitted the investigating officer.

The court declined to grant the application and instead released the accused a cash bail of Ksh.20,000 each.