Muturi blames Judiciary over increased bail terms for protesters
Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has blamed the Judiciary for what he terms bending to the demands of the executive in setting higher bail terms for individuals arrested during the recent spate of protests in the country.
Speaking during a live interview by K24 TV on Thursday, July 17, 2025, Muturi said that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s statement on lenient bail terms had somehow been an intimidation to the Judiciary.
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“The complaint by the CS, I see it as having been directed to the judiciary by way of intimidation. It was a direct intimidation of the judiciary,” Muturi said.
Higher bail terms
“After Murkomen complained about the Ksh50,000 cash bail, we got Ksh100,000 cash bail demand on the protesters arraigned at the Thika Law Courts.”
“I only hope that the lawyers for those young kids will file an application either before the same judicial officer or in the High Court, to review, because bail is not a punishment. It is merely to secure the attendance,” Muturi observed.
The former Public Service CS sympathized with the youthful protesters who had been arrested and arraigned at the Thika Law Courts on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, after a section of them were seen sobbing as they awaited their transfer to Industrial Area Prison remand.
Lawyer condemns bail terms
The bail terms for the youthful protesters have also been condemned by lawyer and political analyst, Willis Otieno.
In a post on his X account on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Otieno questioned the seriousness of the charges being pressed against the protesters, suggesting that the state was using the legal system to silence dissent.
He further accused the state of weaponising the judiciary, saying the courts have become an echo of the executive’s agenda rather than an independent arbiter of justice.
According to him, the legal process is now being used to drown out legitimate demands for accountability and reform, pushing Kenya closer to authoritarianism under the guise of law and order.
“Robbery with violence? For Saba Saba protesters? Soon they’ll add treason and witchcraft. Even the judiciary is now humming the executive’s tune, badly off-key but loud enough to drown justice,” Otieno remarked.
