‪Mawego Police Station Arson Suspects Charged With Terror Offences‬

Eight people suspected to have planned and executed the burning of Mawego Police Station in Homa Bay were on Tuesday charged with terrorism and related offences at the Kahawa Law Courts in Nairobi.

The accused; Kennedy Oluoch, Nicholas Otieno, Tofiq Owiti Mohamed, Michael Omondi Opiyo, David Bill Clinton Otieno, Robert Ouko Abala, Samuel Ouma Odhiambo, and Erick Obunga Osumba were presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Koech where they faced three serious counts. These include terrorism, arson, and willful destruction of property.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the charges are as follows: “Count I: Commission of a terrorist act, contrary to Section 4(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Count II: Arson, contrary to Section 332 of the Penal Code. Count III: Malicious damage to property, contrary to Section 339 of the Penal Code.”

All eight pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution made a strong case against the granting of bail, while defence lawyers pushed back against the request.

The court scheduled the bond ruling and case mention for July 22, 2025. Meanwhile, the suspects have been detained at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.

They were re-arrested on July 14, after the closure of a miscellaneous case, and handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) for processing under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and additional provisions of the Penal Code.

Police believe the eight were among the main organisers of the July 3 attack that left the station in ruins.

The incident occurred during a protest tied to the death of Albert Ojwang, a blogger and teacher who died while in police custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi.

He had earlier been held at Mawego Police Station.

The suspects were earlier arraigned at the Oyugis Law Courts, where they were labelled by investigators as the masterminds of the “coordinated attack, carried out in collaboration with other accomplices who remain at large.”

Tension had mounted last Thursday as Ojwang’s funeral procession made its way to Kokwanyo village.

A group of angry youths intercepted the body, demanding that it be taken to Mawego Police Station instead, claiming that was the place where his troubles began.

Despite efforts by Ojwang’s father to calm the situation, the crowd forcefully redirected the body to the station. There, they stormed the premises, bypassed police barriers, and set the station on fire.

Among the offices destroyed was that of the Officer Commanding Station. Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koilen condemned the act of violence and confirmed that several key offices had been reduced to ashes.