Drama in court as Paul Makenzi accuses police of mistreatment
National
By
Nehemiah Okwembah
| Mar 07, 2024
There was drama at the Malindi law courts after Paul Nthenge Makenzi protested the treatment he was being accorded.
It all started when the accused persons were driven to the court premises in a Kenya Prisons bus, all his 29 co accused were allowed to alight and escorted to the court holding cells while Mackenzie remained in the vehicle.
For more than 30 minutes Mackenzie remained alone at the back of the heavily guarded bus while handcuffed not knowing what to do.
He was later allowed to alight the vehicle and escorted to the high court room where he met his co accused who had been brought earlier.
His effort to talk to two female co accused were thwarted by prison officers who sat in between them hence blocking any access.
READ MORE
Experts call on farmers to grow drought resilient crops
Regulation of fintech must promote stability and innovation
Ongoing labour unrests are early signs of an economy that's about to collapse
Trailers and weighbridges: The untold story
KTDA moves to restore order in tea bonus declarations
Madagascar tycoon to buy Zuku parent firm Wananchi Group
How container cash deposits are creating a problem for Kenyan traders
Gold rush: How illegal gallbladder trade threatens Lake Victoria fishers
Real estate posts high productivity as challenges hit wholesale, retail sectors
It is at that point that Mackenzie started shouting to the officers claiming that they were infringing his human rights.
"Mimi nataka kuongea na co accused na mnanizuiya. Nizuieni prison, nizuieni kwa gari lakini msinizuie kortini. I have a right to talk to my co accused. Nyinyi ni mapepo," quipped Mackenzie as the officers continued to block him.
He even tried to move to where the women were but he was repulsed by the officers who were later instructed to remove the women from the dock to the court benches.
Surprisingly, all his co accused had their handcuffs removed but he remained chained.
"You've even removed their handcuffs but you don't want to remove mine. This is pure discrimination and violation of my rights, he said.
Efforts by some DPP officers to intervene were unsuccessful as they also faced the wrath of Mackenzie.
He also protested over the way he was being treated even in court where all his co accused had their handcuffs removed while he stayed with his.
The sitting arrangement in court has isolated him from the rest of the Co accused.
Mackenzie and his co accused are facing 191 murder charges before Lady Justice Mugure Thande.