Five men who allegedly raided a Shell Petrol Station along Juja Road in Nairobi while armed with metal bars and robbed the fuel station manager of 12 gas cylinders and an office chair are charged with violent robbery.
The incident happened during Azimio la Umoja protests on May 2, 2023.
The accused persons – Alfred Obura, Allan Obonyo, Vincent Onyango, Michael Ooko and Edward Kasee – are facing charges of robbery with violence contrary to section 295 as read with section 296 (2) of the penal code.
They are accused of robbing Mr Nura Wario of the items valued at Sh53,500 while threatening to use violence against him.
The suspects re also facing charges of malicious damage to property contrary to section 399 (1) of the penal code where they are accused of willfully and unlawfully damaging glass window and three fuel pumps all valued at Sh452,000 belonging to Mr Wario.
An accomplice, Charles Wambua, who had been released on cash bail of Sh10,000 by the Makadara Law Court, escaped moments before plea taking.
Senior Sergeant Simon Simiyu, who is investigating the case, told the court that he had seen Mr Wambua in court earlier before plea taking started.
On the day of the incident, Mr Wario, who is the fuel station’s manager, and other staff were at work when they were attacked by a group of about 100 who were taking part in demonstrations and robbing pedestrians while armed with stones and metal bars.
The group allegedly stole the 12 gas cylinders of six kgs each and smashed windscreens of several cars parked at the fuel station.
The incident was captured by CCTV cameras at the station but the suspects had covered their faces.
Mr Wario switched off power at the station to prevent the thugs from syphoning fuel. He later reported the incident at Mathare and Huruma Police Stations after the thugs had left.
Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Starehe offices visited the scene and reviewed the CCTV footage at the petrol station and identified the six as among the group that carried out the robbery.
The officers were later tipped off by the members of the public about the whereabouts of some of the people who had robbed the petrol station and arrested the six suspects who were locked up at Ruaraka Police Station.
The five suspects have been in custody after the DCI obtained orders to detain them to conclude investigations. They denied the charges before Chief Magistrate Francis Kyambia of the Makadara Law Courts who released them on a bond of Sh400,000 without an option of a cash bail.
The case will be mentioned on July 3, 2023 before hearing starts on October 9, 2023. Mr Kyambia forfeited the Sh10,000 paid by Mr Wambua and issued a warrant of arrest against him.
