A fourth-year student at the University of Nairobi (UoN) has been charged with attempting to burn Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi during protests by students against the higher education funding model.
According to the prosecution, Bernard Wangila Ojiambo was arrested on Monday with a five-litre jerrycan of petrol near the hotel where the students engaged anti-riot police officers in running battles as they called for the scrapping of the funding model.
“The charge against you states that jointly with others not before court, you were found with a five-litre jerrycan with petrol at Hotel Boulevard in circumstances that indicated you intended to commit a felony namely, arson,” Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki read out the charge to Ojiambo.
Mr Ojiambo, who was arrested at noon along Harry Thuku Road near Boulevard Hotel, denied the charge.
Defence lawyer Danstan Omari, told the court that the accused was arrested on his way to his rented house.
“Your honour the accused person is a student who owns a motorcycle which he uses to commute to college and back to his residence,” Mr Omari said.
The lawyer said his client was caught between the police and the rioting students. Mr Omari pleaded with the court to release the student on lenient bail terms, adding that he was defending the student pro bono.
“I urge this court to exercise leniency and free this student to enable him go back to school and sit for his final year examinations,” said Mr Omari.
However, the prosecution objected, arguing that the accused person might cause harm if released on cash bail.
“In the past few weeks, there have been incidences of schools being set on fire. The accused person was among the students who were protesting. If released on cash bail, he might continue with the alleged mission,” State prosecutor Everlyn Mutisya said.
Mr Ondieki reserved his bail ruling and ordered the student to be detained at Capitol Hill Police Station until Tuesday (September 11, 2024) when he will rule on the bond application.
