10 suspects arrested over Linda Mwananchi rally chaos freed on bond

The 10 appeared before Chief Magistrate Benson Ireri at the Kisumu Law Courts and denied the charges.

The court released them on a Sh30,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount, or an alternative Sh10,000 cash bail.

Magistrate Ireri rejected an application by the prosecution seeking to have the suspects detained for a further 14 days to allow investigators to complete inquiries. In his ruling, the magistrate said the accused did not pose a security threat and had a constitutional right to bail, adding that there was no justification to continue holding them.

He noted that the DCI was still at liberty to proceed with investigations — including analysis of the suspects’ mobile phones — while they are out on bond.

According to the charge sheet, the suspects were arrested in Kisumu by DCI officers who had been trailing them over suspicions they were planning violence. Police said they recovered several crude weapons, including daggers and knives, from a saloon car the suspects were travelling in.

The suspects are Shadrack Aula, Collins Omondi, Patrick Bunde, Earnest Masheti, Silas Odero, Dickson Ochieng, Hemile Omondi, Clifford Juma, David Omolo and Pater Okoth.

The matter will be mentioned on March 14, 2026.