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Court told Eric Omondi whipped Mama Mboga vendors during protests
23rd January, 2026 08:19 AM
Two key witnesses in the case involving comedian Eric Omondi, in which he is accused of causing obstruction by lying on the road and threatening members of the public along Parliament Road on June 4, 2024, tendered their testimony.
Appearing before Milimani Principal Magistrate Carolyne Nyanguthii on Thursday, January 22, 2026, a police officer told the court that at the time of the incident, she was on duty at the Senate Gate with her colleague when Eric arrived at noon with about 20 women and five young men carrying sukuma wiki.
On their arrival, the officer informed the court that the comedian was holding a stick and a loudspeaker, while the women carried the sukuma wiki, which they scattered in front of the Senate Gate.
The court heard that after scattering the sukuma wiki, Eric started running after the mama mbogas he had arrived with at the Senate Gate, beating them with the stick he was holding, causing chaos along Parliament Road and at the gate.
“Alikua ameshika kitu inakaa rungu na hand loudspeaker, alafu alikua anawatishia hao wamama na anawakimbiza na kuwachapa na hio rungu ndo wapige nduru na kuleta vurughu,” the officer told the court.
This prompted the officer to alert the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Parliament Police Station to request reinforcement.
“I arrested Eric and three women and escorted them to Parliament Police Station, where they were later taken over by Parliament DCI officers,” the officer told the court.
Police Corporal Kigen, who is stationed at Parliament Police Station, also testified that he and other colleagues were informed by the OCS that there were people at the Senate Gate.
Upon arrival, they found a large crowd on the ground and identified Eric Omondi with a few men and women who had scattered sukuma wiki along the road leading to the Senate Gate.
“We arrested Eric Omondi with three men and three women and escorted them to Parliament Police Station, where we handed them over to the DCI officers for investigations,” Corporal Kigen told the court.
During cross-examination, the prosecutor asked Corporal Kigen to tell the court what he could see and hear when they arrived at the Senate Gate.
In his response, the officer said, “Eric Omondi was beating the women with a stick.”
Prosecutor: “Did you see him beating them?”
The officer replied, “Yes, and he was shouting, while others were carrying placards written ‘Mama mboga amechoka, wabunge ni wasaliti.’”
Kigen told the court that they confiscated the handheld loudspeaker and the stick and took them to the station, where they were handed over to the DCI officers for investigations.
During the hearing, it also emerged that a notice notifying the police of an intended public procession and demonstration scheduled for June 4, 2024, had been issued and received on May 22, 2024.
The hearing will proceed on February 18, 2026.
