The Makadara Law Courts have reduced the bail terms for six suspects linked to the Saba Saba protest chaos from Sh100,000 to Sh30,000 each.
The accused, Abubakar Maina, David Macharia, Tony Maria, Khadija Abdirahmin, Leila Halima, and Hanifa Wanjiru, are facing charges of theft involving goods valued at Sh3.5 million during the July 7 demonstrations.
Lawyer Mwaura Kabata, representing the suspects, welcomed the decision, saying the accused had already endured more than 100 days in remand, which he described as “punishment enough.” Kabata urged the court to show leniency, noting that prolonged detention of protestors only worsens social and economic injustices.
Another defence lawyer, Kibe Mungai, questioned the basis of the charges, stating that there was no photographic or video evidence linking the accused to acts of looting or destruction.
“When some of these events occurred, there was chaos everywhere. To date, we have not seen any footage showing these individuals committing the alleged crimes,” Mungai told the media.
Human rights activist Shakira Khalifa, who was present during the proceedings, revealed that 46 other demonstrators remain detained in Kirinyaga under what she termed “unreasonable bond terms.”
She insisted that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and called for the release of all detainees facing politically motivated charges.
The suspects were arrested following the July 7 “Maandamano” protests that turned violent, leading to extensive damage to both public and private property, including police stations and other government buildings.
Several of those arrested were initially charged with terrorism-related offences and destruction of critical infrastructure.
The court’s decision to review bail terms marks a partial relief for the detainees, as pressure mounts on authorities to review the handling of protest-related cases across the country.
