JSC condemns police over gunfire during Ruiru court re-arrest
Armed officers from the Anti-Terror Police Unit stormed the courtroom, seized Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru, and fired gunshots as they bundled him into a white van and sped off.
The Judicial Service Commission has criticised police officers for discharging firearms during the dramatic re-arrest of a suspect inside the Ruiru Law Courts on Friday, July 4.
The incident occurred shortly after youth leader Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru, a known ally of Democratic Change Party leader Rigathi Gachagua, was granted bond of Sh500,000.
Armed officers from the Anti-Terror Police Unit stormed the courtroom, seized Wanjiru, and fired gunshots as they bundled him into a white van and sped off.
“Courts are sacred spaces of constitutional adjudication and must be respected, protected and preserved as secure forums for the administration of justice,” said JSC Secretary Winfridah Mokaya.
The Commission acknowledged the role of police in enforcing the law but said the use of firearms within court premises was unacceptable and undermined the authority of the judiciary.
Wanjiru had been arrested on Monday from his home in Limuru, Kiambu County, over alleged involvement in the June 25 Gen Z protests, which left several people dead and caused damage to both public and private property across the country. Police claim he participated in violent acts and arson in Kikuyu sub-county.
During the re-arrest, Wanjiru’s mother attempted to stop the officers but was overwhelmed as they drove away with her son, leaving chaos and screams at the court premises.
On the same day, youth leader Wanjiku Thiga was re-arrested outside Kikuyu Police Station shortly after being released on a Sh50,000 cash bail. Plainclothes officers took her away, with police saying she is under investigation for allegedly financing unrest during the same protests. Her family said they were not informed where she was taken.
Meanwhile, 25 young people were brought before the Kahawa Law Courts, accused of torching government buildings in Kikuyu town during the June 25 demonstrations. The prosecution requested that they be charged with terrorism-related offences, but the court postponed the plea-taking to July 7 after noting they were presented after official court hours.
