Three charged for assaulting ex-Nairobi Central Business District Association chairman

NAIROBI, KENYA: Three more men accused of attacking a city businessman have been charged with violent robbery.

Michael Banya, Bernard Onganyo Otieno and Benjamin Peter Mulinge were charged over the assault on former Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBD) chairman Timothy Muriuki.

They denied they violently robbed Muriuki of Sh100, 000 and injured him.

They appeared before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, who released them on Sh200, 000 cash bail. The magistrate consolidated the case with those of four others charged over the same incident.

Police said the three accused persons also surrendered to the police bringing the number to seven of people arraigned over the assault.

Muriuki was allegedly attacked at Hotel Boulevard on April 30 this year while he was addressing a press conference on the state of the Nairobi County.

On Tuesday, the fourth suspect, Brian Shem Owino, was also arraigned at the Milimani court where he denied the charge and was freed on Sh200, 000 cash bail.

Through his lawyers, Owino asked the court for lenient bond.

Police said Owino surrendered himself on Monday, two weeks after the authorities placed a Sh500, 000 bounty on him and four others. The rest are still wanted for assault and violent robbery charges.

Last week, East African Legislative Assembly MP Simon Mbugua and two others were charged with the same offence.

They denied the charges and are out on a similar bond. Mbugua was charged alongside Benjamin Odhiambo, alias Solo, and Anthony Ombok, alias Jamal.

The cases will be heard on July 17.