Shanzu court remands fifth suspect charged with Mombasa blogger’s assault
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
This arrest comes six weeks after four other suspects were detained on September 24, 2024, in connection with the same incident.
A fifth suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the assault of Mombasa blogger John Bruce Kajira.
The suspect, Omar Ali Mohamed alias Nyanya, who was apprehended in Lunga Lunga along the Kenya-Tanzania border while attempting to flee, was arraigned in Shanzu on Tuesday, where he faced multiple charges related to the September 13 attack.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the charges brought against the suspect include conspiracy to commit a felony, abduction with intent to confine, and causing actual bodily harm.
During the court session, prosecutors argued that the suspect collaborated with four other individuals to abduct Kajira, assaulting him with kicks and fists, which led to serious injuries.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges when he appeared before Shanzu Senior Resident Magistrate Robert Mbogo.
He was remanded at Shimo La Tewa Prison pending a bail hearing scheduled for November 15, 2024.
This arrest comes six weeks after four other suspects were detained on September 24, 2024, in connection with the same incident.
Abduction and assault
The initial suspects were charged with abduction and sodomy, charges they denied. All five suspects are accused of being part of a larger group involved in the blogger's abduction and assault.
Kajira's ordeal reportedly began on September 12, 2024, when at least ten individuals allegedly broke into his home in the Bamburi Mwisho area and abducted him.
The assailants reportedly lured him by claiming he was being taken to meet Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir to apologise for a social media post that was perceived offensive to the governor and his family.
Once abducted, Kajira was taken to an undisclosed location where he was subjected to severe abuse, including sexual assault.
Following the attack, the perpetrators allegedly placed him in a sack and abandoned him in a thicket, where he was later found unconscious by a good Samaritan.
The assault has drawn widespread attention, implicating Mombasa County Lands Executive Mohamed Hussein and Governor Abdulswamad in the initial stages of the investigation. Both officials have publicly denied any involvement in the incident.
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