Tension has escalated at the Vihiga Law Courts after officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations failed to show up for a crucial hearing, sparking strong reactions from the legal team defending two local supporters.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has taken a firm stance in court, claiming that law enforcement officers have deliberately framed these individuals by planting firearms on them during Edwin Sifuna’s recent Linda Mwananchi rally in the Western region.
According to the defense team, the police have fabricated the charges to pin violent attacks on innocent citizens whose only offense has been attending a political gathering.
The legal counsel has argued that these arrests represent a wider pattern of intimidation aimed at discouraging public participation in opposition events.
Because the accused individuals have maintained their complete innocence throughout the proceedings, their legal representatives have demanded that the arresting officers appear physically in court to face cross-examination and account for their actions.
The magistrate’s court has now stepped in to address the conspicuous absence of the prosecution’s key witnesses.
Recognizing the public interest surrounding the case, the court has officially pushed the hearing date forward while issuing a stern warning to the investigating officers.
The presiding magistrate has made it clear that if the DCI team continues to skip court appearances, the judiciary has no choice but to throw out the case entirely.
Furthermore, the court has clarified that if the state drops the charges due to non-attendance, the defense team has full liberty to pursue civil or criminal complaints against the individual officers involved.
The legal defense has welcomed this direction, expressing readiness to hold the specific officers personally accountable for unlawful arrest and evidence tampering if the state fails to prosecute the matter properly.