Kenyan court frees lawmaker after Odinga's "inauguration"
Xinhua,February 02, 2018 Adjust font size:
NAIROBI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan court on Thursday released a lawmaker who was arrested for swearing in the National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday.
Tom Kajwang', who was charged at Narok court, about 40 km south of the capital Nairobi, was released on 500 U.S. dollar cash bail after spending night in policy custody.
Kajwang' faces charges of being present and consenting to the administration of an oath of Odinga to commit a capital offense, namely treason, contrary to section 59(a) of the penal code.
The High Court had certified the matter as urgent to be heard on Friday but later deferred the hearing date to Feb. 6.
Kajwang' also faced a second count of taking part in an unlawful assembly without notifying the officer commanding Central Police Station, Nairobi.
Wearing a lawyer's robe and wig, Kajwang' was one of the people flanking Odinga as he took the "oath" as the "people's president" on Tuesday before thousands of his supporters.
The arrest follows the gazetting by the government, of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), an opposition outfit led by Odinga, as a criminal organization.
Meanwhile, the opposition leaders on Thursday assured their supporters that they are committed, unshaken and united despite rumors of divisions within the opposition.
Addressing a joint news conference in Nairobi, Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetang'ula and Musalia Mudavadi denied claims of a split in the coalition saying it was a strategy and that NASA is intact, contrary to media reports.
"We in NASA clearly understand where we are coming from, where we are now and where we are going," said Wetang'ula.
The opposition leaders maintained that they are still focused on fighting for electoral justice, independence of judiciary and other independent bodies like the police as well as strengthening devolution.
Musyoka, Wetang'ula and Mudavadi who did not attend the inauguration event reiterated they were under house arrest, a claim denied by the police. Enditem