Africa-Press – Kenya. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has decried what he terms as slow progress in a subversion case facing him and six others.
Speaking on Monday outside Milimani Law Courts, the MP said the court should stop wasting its precious time and public resources on tramped up charges which he said are politically motivated.
“We want this case to be concluded within a week. We want to know if we are being imprisoned, let’s be imprisoned quickly. If we are being acquitted, let us be acquitted hurriedly.”
Babu was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on July 18 and taken to Wang’uru Police Station in Mwea, Kirinyaga County.
The arrest came a day before planned three-day street protests called by Azmio.
The MP was on July 20 transferred to the Nairobi Area Traffic Police Headquarters after his family and lawyers stormed the Wang’uru station demanding his release.
He was later that day charged with conspiracy to commit chaos and subversion alongside six others including self-styled ghetto president Calvin Okoth Otieno alias ‘Gaucho’.
They denied the charges. The following day, they were each released on Sh100,000 cash bail.
Milimani Chief Magistrate Lukas Onyina granted the bail after finding that the prosecution failed to present a compelling case to deny the lawmaker and his co-accused bail.
In his address to the media on Monday, Babu said the Judiciary has so many pending cases that require prompt action than their case which he said should be terminated or concluded in a week’s time.
“The witnesses are all there, they are all police officers. Come to court quickly and tell us what wrong we have committed,” he said.
The MP cited politics as the motive behind their arrest saying it was meant to prevent them from attending the three-day street protests between July 19-21.
“And it’s in good faith and spirit that these cases must be dropped and we are not begging you to drop them if you do not want to drop them prosecute them. Those prisons are meant for human beings like us.”
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