A Mombasa court has today released 43 men who were accused of being members of the Mombasa Republican Council. The 43 who were arrested in 2014 in Kilifi were released after mombasa senior resident magistrate irene ruguru said that the prosecution had failed to provide enough evidence to sustain their conviction. She said since they were arrested, no witnesses had been arraigned to testify against them. The 43 were arrested for stepping up the activities of the movement. Authorities say this involved attacks on police and polling stations, and killing security personnel and individuals perceived to be non-natives. They had also been accused of being members of the group that seeks the independence of the coastal region from Kenya. The MRC group had accused the government of decades of social and economic marginalization of the coast region. Although activities of the group have subsided since the crackdown, police and officials say they are keeping up close surveillance as Kenya near