Suspects Charged With Terrorism After Mawego Police Station Was Set on Fire
Eight people accused of setting fire to the Mawego Police Station in Rachuonyo North Sub-County were formally charged with terrorism-related offences at the Kahawa Law Courts on Tuesday.
These suspects had earlier been held under custodial orders issued by the Oyugis Law Court. However, they were re-arrested on July 14, 2025, after a miscellaneous application in their case was concluded. They were later transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) headquarters in Nairobi for further investigation and processing.
At the Kahawa Law Courts, the suspects faced charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 30 of 2012 and Kenya’s Penal Code.
According to the charge sheet, they were accused of committing a terrorist act, arson, and malicious destruction of property.
In detail, Count I alleged that the accused committed a terrorist act in violation of Section 4(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Count II charged them with arson as defined in Section 332 of the Penal Code, while Count III involved malicious damage to property under Section 339 of the Penal Code.
All eight individuals denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. The prosecution team opposed their release on bond, arguing that the charges were serious and that the suspects posed a potential flight risk.
On the other hand, the defence team insisted their clients were entitled to bail and should be granted bond under the law.
The presiding magistrate, Justice Richard Koech, directed that the matter be brought back to court on July 22, 2025, for a ruling on the bond application. Until then, the accused will remain in custody at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison as they await the court’s decision.
This case follows a disturbing incident where a group of angry youth stormed the Mawego Police Station and set parts of it ablaze.
The chaos began after the death of Albert Ojwang, a young man who died while in police custody. Ojwang had been arrested on June 7 and was initially held at the Mawego Police Station before being transferred to the Central Police Station in Nairobi.
Anger boiled over when images emerged showing mourners carrying Ojwang’s body in a coffin through the streets.
A video shared by Kenyans.co.ke showed a large crowd running while a few young men in front hoisted the coffin above their heads. The body had just arrived in Homa Bay from Nairobi, and emotions were running high.
As the coffin made its way through the streets, many mourners were seen holding placards and confronting the Mawego Police Station, where Ojwang had first been detained.
The crowd, chanting and singing traditional funeral songs known as dirges, matched toward the police post.
What began as a peaceful procession turned chaotic as the mourners turned into protesters, eventually setting parts of the station on fire.
The incident sparked a national conversation around police accountability and the handling of detainees, particularly in rural areas.
Authorities are continuing investigations, and the outcome of the bond hearing on July 22 will determine whether the suspects will remain in custody as their trial proceeds.
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