Man in court for insulting President Ruto at public rally
Shadrack Omondi Orwa at the Makadara Law Courts.
A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly insulting president William Ruto and daring police officers at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi’s Eastlands area to arrest him.
Shandrack Omondi Orwa was charged with creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace contrary to Section 95 (1) (b).
Mr Omondi was charged with shouting and uttering the words “Maandamano tutaenda…makarao ni wachache wataumia serious (we’ll demonstrate… there are very few police officers… they will get hurt)” to police officers on patrol in the area.
Mr Orwa was also charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly contrary to Section 79 of the penal code after attending a Bunge La Mwananchi meeting at the grounds on March 3 this year.
The suspect, jointly with others at large, allegedly incited members of the public to cause violence against the police officers patrolling the grounds by threatening to stone them.
He is said to have used words that are demeaning to the presidency particularly to President Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua –in a way likely to cause a breach of peace.
Mr Omondi addressed the gathering and later the media and allegedly used abusive words.
After addressing the media, he left and headed to his house but police officers followed and arrested him. He was escorted to Kayole police station.
Officials of the Bunge La Mwananchi who recorded their statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over the matter told the detectives that Mr Omondi is their member but they never gave him the mandate to incite members of the public and insult Dr Ruto.
During the investigations, Mr Omondi told the DCI that he regretted the words that he used against the president and the police.
A video clip of him addressing the media at the meeting and which went viral on social media has been submitted to the Communication Authority of Kenya for analysis and will be used as an exhibit in the case.
Mr Omondi denied the charges before Makadara Chief Magistrate Francis Kyambia.
He was released on a bond of Sh50,000 and an alternative cash bail of Sh20,000.
The case will be mentioned on June 5 before the hearing starts on July 17 this year.
