The court
has ordered Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja to pay a fine of Sh15,000 or face
three months in jail for flouting COVID-19 rules over the weekend.
Chief
Magistrate Roselyn Oganyo, on Tuesday, July 21, said that the maximum sentence
for the offense is Sh20,000 or six months in prison.
However,
since Senator Sakaja was a first offender, the magistrate ordered him to pay
the Sh15,000 fine or face the jail sentence.
Magistrate
Oganyo also directed the Senate House to confirm Sakaja’s resignation after he
announced that he would step down as the chair of Senate Adhoc Committee on
Covid-19.
“However, that pronouncement ought to be confirmed in writing from the Senate House, to be able to send a strong message to Kenyans that the leader has indeed stepped aside and not that he did the same as a public relations exercise to woo the court, “said the magistrate.
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Speaking to
the press in Kilimani yesterday, Sakaja stated that he would step down from the
position with the aim of setting a good example.
Sakaja also
said he took full responsibility for flouting the COVID-19 rules after being
arrested drinking in a lounge past 9 pm.
"On
flouting the rules, I was wrong, and I'm sorry. I will face the law like any
other Kenya. However, what I found unfair was the harassment meted on my family
from Saturday to Sunday. I'm not a fugitive, I was released on a cash bail and
if they wanted me to appear, they should have summoned me.
"On
Friday it was not official duty. I was not oversighting; I was not looking at
what they were doing. I was on the wrong on that one. I agree and I am
sorry," said Sakaja.
Sakaja, who
had presented himself at the Kilimani Police Station on Monday to record a
statement, condemned how police officers went to his residence to arrest him
for the Saturday incident.
"I'm
not a fugitive, why send 50 armed police officers to stake out waiting to
arrest me and keep me in the cells for the weekend?" asked Sakaja.
The Nairobi
Senator also denied threatening anyone during the arrest following a police
report, which stated that he threatened to transfer the officers.
