DPP Keriako Tobiko dismisses case on bus crew in blasts

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By CYRUS OMBATI

The Director of Public Prosecutions has terminated cases against a bus crew charged over the blast that killed three people and injured more than 80 in Nairobi.

The Office of the DPP said it did not find any merit in the charges hence the need to discontinue the cases.

“DPP Tobiko terminates cases against the bus crew charged over the city blast,” read a tweet from the office’s Twitter handle yesterday.

Five crew members of the buses attacked during Sunday twin explosions on Thika Road were charged at the Makadara Law Courts with failure to prevent murder. Robert Gakuru, Geoffrey Mwangi, Joshua Wambugu, James Miring’u Munene and Anthony Mutua Masila allegedly failed to prevent the felony, namely murder, by failing to screen the passengers while boarding the vehicles.

This exposed the vehicle to be blown off by an unknown passenger resulting to deaths of three people and more than 80 injuries.The five denied the charges before Chief Magistrate Emily Ominde. They were released on a Sh5 million bond each, and two surety of similar amounts. The case will be heard on July 17.

DPP Keriako Tobiko had on Wednesday called for the police file of the matatu crew charged over terror attacks on their vehicles to establish the reason and desirability of the charges. Officials said the DPP studied the file and concluded to terminate the charges. The move came as matatu operators on Githurai route in Nairobi  on Wednesday went on strike to protest the prosecution of their colleagues over the twin blasts.

The operators said police were accusing the wrong people over  the blasts. Police said the blasts were caused by improvised explosive devices.