NAIROBI, Kenya – A Kahawa court has dismissed a bid by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to detain Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji and two others for an additional 14 days over alleged terror-related activities linked to the July 7 Saba Saba protests.
Principal Magistrate Richard Koech on Thursday ruled that the DCI had failed to provide compelling reasons to justify the extended detention of the suspects, who include journalist James Mbochi and boda boda rider Stanley Mbuthi.
Instead, the court directed the trio to present themselves to investigators only when formally summoned—rejecting a proposal that they report weekly.
Magistrate Koech further noted that the prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) James Mashira, had already confirmed that investigations were 70 percent complete.
The court set the next mention of the case for August 26, when the suspects are expected to take a plea.
The three were previously released on July 10 on cash bail of Sh300,000 each. Mukunji had been held at Muthaiga Police Station pending the bail ruling.
The DCI had accused the suspects of involvement in terrorism-related offences, including the alleged recruitment and financing of violent groups tied to the anti-government demonstrations.
However, their continued detention drew public criticism, with rights groups and legal experts raising concerns about the government’s use of anti-terror laws against political dissent.
Speaking outside the courtroom, MP Mukunji called for calm and urged the public to respect the judicial process.
“I have confidence in our courts. Let justice take its course,” he said.
The case has become a focal point in the national debate over the boundaries between public protest and national security, amid growing scrutiny of the state’s handling of the Saba Saba demonstrations and related arrests.
