Lari MP Joseph Mburu Kahangara charged with assaulting a police officer. (Photo:File/Standard) By Fred Makana Nairobi, Kenya: The trial of Lari MP Joseph Mburu Kahangara was Tuesday forced to adjourn after his defence team requested court to consolidate the two cases the legislator is facing. In an application made before Nairobi Resident Magistrate G Shikwe, lawyer Lawrence Mbaabu requested that the traffic and assault charges against the MP be consolidated. Mbaabu said the accused is likely to face the same facts and witnesses in both cases hence the reason for the proposed consolidation. “There is need to consolidate the two cases as they are intertwined by account of facts and the witnesses that the prosecution seeks to call to testify. I call upon the court to consolidate the two cases so as to have a single trial,” Mbaabu said. He claimed that the prosecution is deliberately delaying the trial by handling the two cases separately. The prosecution said it was not aware of any plans to delay the trial and asked more time to consult over the defence’s request. The magistrate however said the MP’s case has been deliberated twice yet his defence team has never raised any objections before trial commences. The MP is facing six counts of assaulting a police officer and flouting traffic rules. He is alleged to have assaulted David Ruto, a police officer on December 6 at 10am around Globe Cinema round about in Nairobi. The officer was at the time said to have been acting in the due execution of his duties. He is also charged with other counts of obstruction, driving a motor vehicle without a driving licence, overlapping and failure to obey lawful instructions issued by a uniformed traffic police officer. The MP was alleged to have driven his personal Land cruiser Prado during the scuffle on Murang’a Road. He is said to have left the car on the road in a manner likely to obstruct or cause inconveniences to other road users. The MP allegedly failed to stop when he was asked to do so by the police, and that’s when the scuffle ensued. The trial is set to resume on April 4 when the magistrate is also expected to rule on whether the two cases will be consolidated.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 06:05:27 +0000
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