Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and several co-defendants who were recently presented in court have purportedly gone into hiding to avoid re-arrest. The group, which consists of five MPs and four others, had been released on bond last Friday, following accusations of organizing anti-government protests. Among them were MPs Babu Owino (Embakasi East) and George Aladwa (Makadara), along with three county assembly members (MCAs) – Peter Owera Oluoch (Huruma), Redson Otieno Onyango (Ngei), and Wilfred Oluoch Odalo (Mabatini).
Two personal assistants of MP Aladwa, Evans Omondi Awasi and Stephen Onyango Olayo, as well as two county employees, Erick Ochieng Otieno and Antony Otsyula Joseph, were also released on bond alongside the politicians.
It has been reported that the group is now in hiding due to the presence of police at their residences. The police are allegedly using civilian vehicles with Sudanese and Tanzanian registration, prompting the politicians and their associates to seek refuge elsewhere.
After their release on bond, the individuals reportedly managed to evade the police by disguising themselves in Legio Maria outfits as they left the court premises.
According to their lawyers, Tom Kwanga and Danstan Omari, the police are disregarding the court orders issued at the Milimani law courts last Friday. They claim that Lady Justice Asenath Ongeri had granted anticipatory bonds to the lawmakers, explicitly directing the police not to arrest them.
Moreover, the lawyers assert that the MCAs were subjected to assault during their three-day custody. They also allege that police took significant sums of money from some of the accused during their arrests.
As a result of the police presence and potential threats to their safety, the MCAs and their spouses are currently seeking refuge in various guest houses and hotels within the city. Their legal representatives expressed concern about the situation, emphasizing that even after being granted bond by the court, the individuals are still facing difficulties and are incurring significant expenses during this time.
