Muriuki attack: Simon Mbugua, 2 others face robbery charge

What you need to know:

  • The Eala lawmaker faced the charge in Milimani on Wednesday morning alongside Mr Anthony Otieno Ombok, a lias Jamal, and Mr Benjamin Odhiambo Onyango, alias Odhis, and others not before the court.
  • The three are accused of robbing Mr Muriuki of Sh100,000 and injuring him at Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi.

  • The three denied the charge and Mr Mbugua applied to  be released on bond.

MP Simon Mbugua and two others have  been  charged with robbery with violence over attack on former Nairobi business official Timothy Muriuki.

The East African Legislative Assembly lawmaker faced the charge in Milimani on Wednesday morning alongside Mr Anthony Otieno Ombok, a lias Jamal, and Mr Benjamin Odhiambo Onyango, alias Odhis, and others not before the court.

SH100,000

The three are accused of robbing Mr Muriuki of Sh100,000 and injuring him at Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi.

The charge states: “On the 30th day of April 2018 at 11am at Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi city within Nairobi County, jointly with others not before court, robbed Timothy Muceru Muriuki of Sh100,000 and immediately after the time of such robbery injured the said Timothy Muceru Muriuki.”

The three denied the charge and Mr Mbugua applied to  be released on bond.

Defence lawyers Cliff Ombeta, Harun Ndubi  and Nelson Havi urged Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku to release him on a personal bond, saying he is not a  flight risk.

But the prosecution said  stringent bail  terms should be  imposed on the lawmaker to ensure he attends court. 

The MP and his co-accused were remanded until 2pm when bond ruling will be delivered.

The prosecution has lined up eight witnesses in the case that came after public outcry over the attack that was staged in full glare of rolling media cameras.

OTHERS

Mr Mbugua was arrested on Tuesday together with three other suspects in connection to the attack. 

One of the suspects arrested on Tuesday, Mr Stephen Sangira, was not charged as the police said they found no evidence linking him to the incident.

The four were arrested at the Sagret Hotel and were taken to the Central Police Station in Nairobi where they were detained until 6am Wednesday when they were taken to court.

The Monday attack took place as Mr Muriuki was addressing the media on the state of Nairobi.

He was going to talk about of garbage collection, poor roads and crime.

Other suspects being sought by police are Mr Brian Owino alias Orange, Mr Michael Mbanya, and Mr Suleiman Hussein alias Rescue.

The National Police Service on Friday placed a Sh2.5 million bounty on the five suspects, saying they were wanted for robbery with violence, an offence that attracts the death sentence in Kenya.

But the police did not give the names of the suspects.