Francis Mutunge, John Mulingwa, and Mark Amiani, three activists arrested following the June 25 commemorative protests, appeared in court on Wednesday for a mention of their case as the prosecution sought more time to conclude investigations.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) alleges the trio facilitated the infiltration of goons who incited violence, theft, and destruction of property during the protests.
Prosecutors requested a 30-day extension to complete forensic analysis, including banking fraud audits and cyber forensic examination of the activists’ phones.
They stated investigations were approximately 70 percent complete.
The defense argued that the prosecution should already have sufficient evidence to determine if there is a case to answer, given the majority of the investigation was done. Despite these objections, the court granted the extension.
In a partial win for the defense, the court lifted the requirement for the activists to report to police twice weekly. The case is scheduled for another mention on August 21.
The arrests had triggered strong backlash from civil society groups, who described the charges as baseless and a deliberate attempt to distort the truth.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) led the call for their release, emphasizing the trio’s work as respected human rights defenders known for integrating music and art in their activism.
Following the public outcry, the activists were released on a sh200,000 bond each on July 2.
They had faced conditions barring them from resuming activities related to their arrest and were required to report to police every Monday and Thursday conditions that have now been eased.
The case remains under close watch by human rights advocates and the general public as investigations continue.
