By Ezrah Kashumbusha.
NAIROBI, December 06, 2023 | The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, has received court orders from Kiambu High Court to detain 15 officers linked to the mysterious disappearance of two Indian nationals and their Kenyan taxi driver. The officers, drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Kenya National Intelligence, have been remanded to Kiambu Remand Prison following the court’s directive.
Initially released on a 1 million cash bail by Kahawa Law Courts Magistrate Gideon Kiage after denying charges of kidnap and robbery, the officers faced a turn of events with the recent court orders. The DPP, expressing concern over potential threats to the victims and witnesses, argued that the officers could interfere with the ongoing investigations. The DPP deemed the earlier bail terms as lenient in light of the gravity of the charges, prompting the detention order. On December 1, Kiambu High Court Judge Dorah Chepkwony suspended the bail ruling in response to the DPP’s application.
However, the Defense team, led by Dastan Omari and Wandugi Karathe, raised objections, accusing the DPP of acting without transparency and violating the rights of the accused. They asserted that the charges appeared politically motivated, with alleged links to President Ruto’s visit to India. Omari and Wandugi contended that the accused were before the Magistrate illegally, asserting that the defense team had not been notified of the DPP’s application. They announced their intention to challenge the decision in court.
