Activist who disrupted CS Ndung'u photo session freed on bond
Julius Kamau Kimani addresses the media at the Milimani Law Court on June 19, 2024 after being released on bond.
What you need to know:
- When he was arraigned last week, Mr Kimani said not even a lengthy jail term would silence him.
- The accused also accused the judiciary for exhibiting cowardice while dispensing justice.
A political activist who disrupted a photo session of Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof Njuguna Ndung’u on budget day has been freed on bond.
Julius Kamau Kimani was freed on a bond of Sh50,000 with an alternative cash bail of Sh10,000 after denying a charge of creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
Mr Kimani who caused a stir in court on June 14, 2024 attributed his uncivil behaviour in court to frustration in life since he is unbale to make ends meet.
Lawyer Suyianka Lempaa, who is representing Kimani, apologised to the court for his client's behaviour when he was arraigned on June 14, 2024.
Following the activist's angry outbursts in court, Milimani Law Court chief magistrate Bernard Ochoi ordered that he be escorted to Mathari Mental Hospital for examination and a report filed in court on June 17, 2024.
In his report, state prosecutor James Gachoka said the mental hospital did not attend to the accused and he was instead taken to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital where doctors said they do not have facilities for examining mental patients.
When he was arraigned last week, Mr Kimani said not even a lengthy jail term would silence him.
Mr Kimani also blasted the judiciary for exhibiting cowardice while dispensing justice.
On Wednesday, Mr Lempaa asked the court to read the charge to the accused to plead since “he is sober and not a mental case.”
“Are you in a position to plead to the charges. Did you ever in your life had a mental challenge,” Mr Ochoi asked the accused.
Julius Kamau Kimani addresses the media at the Milimani Law Court on June 19, 2024 after being released on bond.
“I have never been mentally challenged. It is out of frustration in life that I behaved the way I deed in court last week,” Kimani responded.
He explained that Kenyans who have no incomes have been badly hit by the hard economic times.
The charge against Mr Kimani states that on June 13, 2024 at Treasury Building along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) he created disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
The prosecution stated that the accused yelled, shouted and attempted to disrupt Prof Ndung’u's photo session.
Lawyer Lempaa urged the court to free his client on bond terms similar to that of fellow demonstrator Erick Mankuyu Seyielel.
