Maandamano: Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch charged, defended by 20 lawyers
Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch during a previous press briefing. He has been charged with engaging in subversive activities by mobilising members of the public to participate in Azimio demos.
What you need to know:
- His legal team told the court that the government is setting a bad precedent by charging persons who hold an opposing opinion.
Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch and two MCAs, all drawn from the Azimio party, have been charged with engaging in subversive activities by mobilising people to participate in Azimio demonstrations last week
Oluoch, who appeared in court Monday afternoon, was represented by a battery of 20 lawyers led by Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Eric Theuri. They urged Milimani Law Courts chief magistrate Lucas Onyina to free all of the legislators on bond.
Theuri told the court that the government is setting a bad precedent by charging persons who hold a contrary opinion to the State.
"This country is drifting back to the dark times where the government violates the rights of Kenyans with divergent opinion," Theuri said, and wondered how many of the 50 million Kenyans with divergent opinions will be charged similarly.
The Mathare MP was freed on a cash bail of Sh100,000 while two MCAs Alvin Palapala (Kitsuru ward) and Peter Imwatok (Makongeni ward) were released on a cash bail of Sh70,000 each.
