There was high drama and raw emotion at the Thika Law Courts on Wednesday after a magistrate handed a Ksh100,000 cash bail ruling to 58 suspects arrested during the recent Saba Saba protests. Outside the courtroom, anguished mothers broke down, some even threatening to strip in protest, overwhelmed by the impossible demand for bail.
CRIES OF DESPERATION AS YOUTHS BEG FOR FREEDOM
From behind the cold metal bars of the courtroom holding cells, the detained youth shouted, cried, and banged the gates. Just steps away, their parents and guardians sobbed helplessly, unable to raise the hefty bail or the Ksh300,000 bond alternative imposed by the court.
“This is not justice. It’s punishment for being poor,” one distraught mother muttered as others joined her in protest, some even boarding police vehicles, insisting they’d rather go to remand than leave their children behind.
PARENTS SHARE HEARTBREAKING STORIES
One of the grieving mothers, Emmah Wambui, shared her frustration:
“When I got to the police station, I asked my son, ‘Did you steal anything from the supermarket?’ He told me, ‘No, Mum. Let DCI bring the CCTV footage. They dragged me there and beat me!’”
Another parent, Jennifer Atieno, said her son had gone out to buy milk and never came back home.
“He called me and said, ‘Mum, I’ve been arrested.’ I found him among a group facing robbery charges.”
The accused, all arrested in the wake of the Saba Saba protests, are facing serious robbery with violence charges, a capital offense in Kenya. The charges stem from the alleged looting of Mathai Supermarket in Juja, where goods valued at Ksh8.7 million were reportedly stolen.
‘CHARGED WITHOUT EVIDENCE’ – RELATIVES CRY FOUL
Kiritu Chege, a brother to one of the accused, dismissed the charges as baseless:
“None of us has Ksh100,000. They are charging people with robbery, yet there’s no clear evidence. They’re punishing the poor.”
Adding to the frustration, some suspects also face charges of vandalizing police vehicles and injuring three officers—Dorcas Cherui, Dennis Nganga, and Wallace Waithaka—during the chaos at Juja Police Station.
‘WE ELECTED YOU!’ – MOTHERS CALL OUT LEADERS
In a moment of raw emotion, Emmah Wambui addressed government officials directly:
“You look down on the poor, but remember we are the people who voted you in! Shame on you for saying Ksh50,000 is little money when most of us don’t even earn that in a year.”
The situation reflects a growing divide between the government and its citizens, especially among low-income families struggling to meet legal obligations despite limited means.
FAMILIES PLEAD FOR JUSTICE, NOT PUNISHMENT
As the suspects remain in remand, their families continue to plead for justice and fairness, not punitive bail conditions they cannot afford.
“All we ask is a chance for our children to be heard and judged fairly. Don’t criminalize poverty,” one tearful mother told reporters.
