Politician Jimi Wanjigi is set to return to court today for the hearing of submissions in a case where the government seeks to charge him with illegal possession of firearms.
Wanjigi was arrested last month but was released on a Sh10 million bond by a magistrate’s court after his plea was deferred. Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi has since postponed plea-taking in the matter after Wanjigi’s lawyers, led by Willis Otieno, informed the court of a High Court order prohibiting his arrest and charges.
Otieno, along with senior counsels Paul Muite and Kalonzo Musyoka, argued that Wanjigi’s rights had been violated due to the existing High Court order issued by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, which stopped his arrest and detention.
Today, the parties will reconvene in court, where the state is expected to justify the charges before the magistrate makes a final ruling. In the previous session, Muite contended that the proceedings were already compromised due to the High Court order. “We request the plea be postponed to challenge the High Court ruling, as there was a valid order against his arrest,” he stated.
Otieno added that the charges are also part of ongoing proceedings in a petition before the High Court. He noted that during a police raid on Wanjigi’s home, only iPhones, iPads, and three flags were confiscated, asserting that the firearms were planted by the police.
