Nairobi — Manyatta Member of Parliament Gitonga Mukunji and two co-accused were released on cash bail Friday following a ruling by Kahawa Law Courts.
Senior Principal Magistrate Kipkemoi Koech granted each of the three individuals a Ksh 300,000 cash bail or a Ksh 1 million bond. The court also allowed Mukunji and one of the accused to seek treatment at hospitals of their choice due to medical concerns. The third respondent was remanded at Muthaiga Police Station pending the posting of bail.
The case is part of a broader crackdown related to the anti-government protests held on June 25 and July 7 dubbed Saba Saba, which spread across multiple counties and were marked by clashes with police, vandalism of government property, and injuries.
In a separate but related hearing at the same court, 36 people arrested during the protests were arraigned on terrorism charges. The suspects, including 26 from Kiambu and 10 from Machakos County, are accused of destroying public property and injuring law enforcement officers.
Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage said he will issue a ruling on their bail status next Wednesday. Prosecutors opposed their release, citing the gravity of the offenses and concerns about potential flight risk.
The charges follow a wave of unrest that began as peaceful demonstrations but escalated into confrontations between police and protesters in urban centers. Authorities have described the acts as part of a coordinated effort targeting state institutions, though lawyers representing some of the accused argue the arrests were politically motivated.
The legal proceedings continue amid heightened national debate over the right to protest and the state’s response to civil dissent. The government has defended the arrests as lawful and necessary to maintain order, while human rights advocates have called for an independent review of police conduct during the demonstrations.
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