Drama as Maina Njenga goes on trial
The trial of Azimio Coalition leader Maina Njenga for alleged membership to Mungiki, an outlawed group in Kenya, and the crimes it allegedly committed in Bahati sub-County opened on a dramatic note in Nakuru on Monday.
Mr Njenga, commonly referred to as former Mungiki leader, was put on his defence after he lost a bid to stop the criminal trial where he and 11 others are facing seven charges.
Nakuru Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibellion dismissed the application by a team of lawyers led by Steve Biko, who accused the State of turning some of the accused persons into prosecution witnesses without following the due process.
“Some of the witness statements supplied to the defense team were recorded by the accused persons,” said Mr Biko.
“The decision by the prosecution to turn the accused persons to witnesses was not done formally as there was no application made before court seeking the same.”
Mr Njenga also wanted the trial halted alleging that the case was similar to the one he was facing before a Makadara in the capital Nairobi.
The magistrate threw out the application, ruling that Mr Njenga failed to produce evidence to support his claims.
Mr Njenga and his co-accused are facing seven counts relating to membership to an outlawed criminal gang, Mungiki, and engaging in organised crime in Bahati, Nakuru County, between May 11 and 18, 2023.
The trial opened on a dramatic note after the first prosecution witness, Mr Njenga’s mother-in-law, collapsed while taking oath.
The witness, an elderly woman identified as Hannah, collapsed few minutes after taking to the stand to testify against her son-in-law., briefly interrupting the court session as court orderlies rushed to her rescue.
The cause of her collapse was not immediately clear.