Former Nairobi mayor George Aladwa escaped spending the weekend in police cells after he was released on cash bail.
He was released at 7.30pm Friday after one of his lawyers, Mr Harun Ndubi, secured a court order requiring police to release him on a Sh20,000 cash bail pending the hearing of his application on Tuesday.
Mr Aladwa was arrested by Flying Squad officers at a food kiosk near the city’s Railway Club on Friday morning over utterances he made at a rally on Mashujaa Day.
Mr Aladwa, who is also the ODM chairman for Nairobi County, was booked and locked up at Kamukunji police station.
He was arrested by Flying Squad officers just before 11am and driven to Nairobi Area police headquarters in Milimani.
Thereafter, he was taken to Kilimani police station where he recorded a statement.
His Cord coalition has alleged politics in his arrest.
At Kilimani police station, Mr Aladwa was visited by ODM leader Raila Odinga and other senior opposition leaders.
Mr Odinga and Minority Whip Jakoyo Midiwo left after a few minutes without talking to the press.
A rowdy crowd gathered at the station and started chanting before Mr Aladwa was transferred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations along Kiambu Road.
They chanted Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s name, who has also been accused of hate speech.
They questioned why he had not faced similar treatment.
Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko had ordered that he be questioned. Earlier in the morning, officers visited his home in BuruBuru but failed to find him.
Police allowed Mr Aladwa to ride in Siaya Senator James Orengo’s car to Kiambu Road.
Immediately after arriving at the DCI headquarters, Mr Aladwa was later taken out in police cars and locked up at Kamukunji.
He was accompanied throughout by Mr Orengo, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and Makueni MP Dan Maanzo and his lawyers John Khaminwa and Harun Ndubi.
Mr Ndubi rushed to court immediately after leaving the CID headquarters to seek bail pending arrest.
“They are taking him round police stations and we are informed the intention is to detain him until Monday just to make a political statement,” Mr Ndubi said.
Source-nation.co.ke
