Court bars MCA, eight people from setting foot in Solai

Kabazi ward MCA Peter Mbae (right) chats with his lawyer Kipkoech Ngetich at Nakuru Law courts on January 31,2019. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Kabazi MCA Peter Mbae and eight others have been barred from setting foot in Solai.

Nakuru Senior Resident Magistrate Yvonne Khatambi issued the orders following an application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Thursday.

DCI officers from Rongai told the court that investigations were being conducted into offence of incitement, disobedience of law and malicious damage.

“Preliminary investigations linked the nine to the offences of malicious damage, incitement and disobedience of law,” reads part of the application.

The officer said there was need to record statements and interrogate more people as tension was still high in Solai.

Lawyer Kipkoech Ng’etich representing the nine suspects, told the court that the application seeking to bar the accused from Solaiwas politically motivated and was related to Solai Dam tragedy.

He said a meeting to inform victims of the tragedy that demand letters had been generated for purposes of filing a suit in court.

Police officers, he said, disrupted the meeting, leading to chaos. The officers allegedly hurled teargas to the people.

The nine were released on Sh200,000 bond each, and Mbae restrained them from holding public gatherings.