Two more suspects associated with four grenades recovered from a vehicle parked outside Jimmy Wanjigi’s house will spend 5 days in police custody awaiting police to conclude Investigations against them.
The two Kennedy Ochieng Asewe and Joseph Augo Otimo appeared before the Milimani senior principal magistrate Robinson Ondieki bringing the total number of those who were arrested to four and ordered them to be detained for five days.
The other two suspects Duncan Otieno and Calvin Odhiambo appeared before Chief Magistrate Bernard Ochoi who directed them to be detained for seven days at Central Police Station.
The four will be questioned over four grenades allegedly recovered from a vehicle they were in parked outside house Number 44 of businessman Jimmy Wanjigi at Muthaiga, Nairobi.
In their ruling, the two Magistrates concurred that the alleged weapons associated with the suspects cause mass destruction to life and property and police need time to verify their origin and their purpose,
“Explosives are usually used by terrorists to cause mass destruction and this country has witnessed the same in recent times. The request by police to establish the purpose of the grenades need not be taken lightly and therefore I allow suspects to be detained for five days,” ruled Ondieki.
The magistrate took into account that the suspects Asewe and Otimo were arrested on the night of August 9, 2024, at Soweto and detained.
He noted that the arrest preceded a weekend and police could do little.
Magistrate Ochoi allowed police to detain Otieno and Odhiambo for seven days from Monday saying police need time to carry out Investigations.
He declined a plea by defence lawyers Willis Otieno, Dr Owiso Owiso, Ian Mutiso and John Andati to review the seven-day detention order urging that the owners of the grenades be known.
In his ruling, Ochoi said the defence did not avail of a press statement allegedly read to the media by the acting general of police Gilbert Masengeli ascertaining that the said grenades were recovered inside Wanjigi’s house.
He said the court cannot act from a street statement from the bar by the defence lawyers that the police know the owners of the grenades.
On the other hand, Ochoi said Willis Otieno did not present before court pleadings filed by Wanjigi at the High Court pinpointing that police planted the grenades inside the car parked outside his house,
“There being no tangible evidence upon which this court can rely on as to the source and owner of the grenades the application to review the detention order is declined,” ruled the magistrate.
Otieno had urged the court to free the Otieno and Odhiambo since the owners of the grenades were known and had nothing to do with them.
The magistrate directed the suspects to remain in Central Police for seven days.