Matatu conductor in court for assaulting police officer, resisting arrest
A tout who allegedly punched a police officer at a matatu stage at the OTC area within downtown Nairobi declined to be treated at a Nairobi County Government health facility after a Makadara court ordered he be treated before he is charged.
The court heard that Clinton Odhiambo Otieno was escorted to the Ngara Health Centre but refused treatment at the facility and a clinical officer indicated the same in a treatment note.
Corporal Stephen Kiongora of Kamukunji police station told Principal Magistrate Caroline Mugo that the suspect was escorted to the hospital but he declined to cooperate.
Ms Mugo had ordered Otieno be taken to hospital before he was charged after he appeared in court for plea taking with injuries on November 1, 2023.
Otieno is facing charges of assaulting and injuring a police officer on duty, resisting arrest, and declining to have his fingerprints taken contrary to section 103 of the National Police Service (NPS) Act of 2011.
The suspect is accused of assaulting and injuring police constable Lamech Aricha who was arresting him on October 31, 2023, for a criminal offence reported at the Kamukunji police station.
Otieno is accused of willfully resisting arrest by PC Aricha and PC Samuel Njeru who were executing their duty at the time of the incident.
The two officers had gone to arrest Otieno for allegedly assaulting a PSV Sacco official who allowed a driver to park at a space that the suspect claims belongs to him.
Otieno was also charged with declining to have his fingerprints taken by Cpl. Kiongora who is investigating the matter.
The NPS Act requires fingerprints of all criminal suspects to be taken for profiling and criminal records.
In the last charge, he is accused of willfully assaulting and injuring Joseph Thiongo, a matatu operator at the Kaka stage along Race Course Road near the OTC area, contrary to section 251 of the Penal Code.
Otieno allegedly assaulted Thiong’o on October 25th and the complainant sought treatment at a health facility in the area before reporting the matter to the police.
PCs Aricha and Njeru later went to arrest the suspect but he allegedly became violent after the two identified themselves as police officers and punched PC Aricha in the face before running away.
The officers shot in the air three times to scare Otieno before arresting him.
Otieno denied all the charges. He was released on a bond of Sh80,000 and an alternative cash bail of Sh50,000.
The cases will be mentioned on February 9, 2024, before hearing starts on May 16, 2024.