Victor Juma, the Mathare protestor who was arrested after he claimed that police had teargassed his child has been arraigned in court.
Victor, whose arrest went viral after a video of plainclothes police pretending to be a journalist grabbed him and dramatically arrested him, was brought before a court and pleaded not guilty to the allegations levied against him. The prosecution accused Victor of unlawful gathering, protesting, and disrupting the peace.
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He was arrested on July 19, in Mathare slums during the Azimio-led protests. Victor Juma’s pretrial has been set for August 10 and the judge on his case has freed him on a Ksh 10,000 bond and Ksh 5,000 cash bail.
Comedian Eric Omondi has been praised by netizens for helping the protestor raise his cash bail and even pledging to find him a job. Victor Juma’s online fundraising was arranged by Omondi, who was successful in raising over Ksh 400,000. The comedian says that the funds will be used to pay for the affected child’s medical and education expenses, and rent, and to help Juma and his wife start a small business.
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The Azimio-led demonstrations against taxation and the high cost of living have seen the arrest of several protestors. Multiple protestors have also been reported dead and even schools closed due to the reported teargassing of children. Despite the aftermath of the protests, Azimio leaders still maintain that the protests will go on in the coming week until Kenyans’ needs are addressed.
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The Kenya Kwanza government has however remained firm in its stand to deal with the demonstrators who are destroying property. Police have also been called out for using excessive force in dealing with Kenyans during demonstrations.