Any motorist in Kenya knows that when a police officer enters your car and asks you to drive to the nearest police station, he is most likely looking for a bribe.
Countless motorists have parted with money to escape being charged with real or imagined traffic offences. Police stations in this country are hostile environments, and most Kenyans would rather avoid the experience of having to stay in them for hours while a police officer looks for an elusive charge sheet.
Five matatu bus crew have been charged with failing to screen passengers in connection with the explosions in ill-fated buses on the Thika Road on Sunday.
They were charged with failure to prevent a felony, namely murder and were ordered to deposit personal bonds of Sh5 million each with two sureties of similar amounts.
The prosecution told the Makadara Chief Magistrate Emily Ominde that the crew failed to screen passengers “thereby allowing the buses to be blown up by an unknown passenger.”
Mr Robert Gakuru and Mr Joshua Wambugu, both drivers, and Mr James Munene, Mr Geoffrey Mwangi and Mr Antony Muthee who were conductors all denied the charge.
The case will be heard on July 17. A mention was set for May 20.
At least three people were killed and 62 wounded when two improvised bombs exploded on buses in the capital.
Of the 62 wounded, 20 were admitted in critical condition.
Sunday’s twin attacks were on two buses packed with commuters along Thika Road, headed to Githurai and Mwiki from the city centre.
The explosions came a day after two blasts at the Kenyan coast killed four people.
