Twelve men charged with assaulting police officers

Homa Bay Law court where the twelve were charged. [James Omoro, Standard]

Twelve men from Homa Bay County were charged with assaulting police officers and obstructing them from discharging their duties.

Wickliffe Omondi, Felix Onyango, David Mbogo, Domnic Owino, Erick Onyango, Kennedy Ochieng’, Daniel Odiwuor, Horizon Nyaliech, Hillary Ochieng’, Victor Omondi, Elijah Ochieng’and Wickliffe Ochieng’ were accused of assaulting the police officers attached to Rodi Police Station in Homa Bay.

The offices are CPL Longel, Constable Samwel Odoyo, Constable Yusuf Rop and Constable Evance Omondi.

The twelve suspects are facing four charges.

In the first count, the court heard that the suspects willfully and unlawfully assaulted the officers on duty contrary to the National Police Service Act No 11 (a) of 2011. They committed the offence on October 20, 2021, at 4.00 pm.

It was reported that the suspects were armed with stones, bottles of soda and wooden bars, which they used to assault the officers.

In the second count, the accused persons were charged with obstructing police officers from discharging their duty contrary to the law.

In the third count, they are accused of causing violence contrary to the Penal Code.

The court heard that the twelve and others not before court uttered words, “If the police try to rescue the suspect, we will meet them with the same force met by the suspect”.

In the fourth count, they were accused of malicious damage of property.

The suspects were charged with willful and unlawful damage to a police vehicle, which is the property of the Republic of Kenya.

The accused persons denied the charges.

Omondi, the first accused, argued that he was assaulted by the police officers, contrary to the accusations.

Homa Bay Principal Magistrate Ruth Maloba ruled that the accused persons be released on a bond of Sh100,000 each and surety of a similar amount.

The case will be heard on December 7, 2021.