Activist Bob Njagi walked free on Thursday, July 2, after the Kajiado Law Court dismissed treason charges levelled against him.
According to the Principal Magistrate, the officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) failed to provide evidence of the charges.
He determined that the investigating officer was unsure of when the investigative report would be made available to him and subsequently to the court, and ordered that the case be closed.
"Considering that this matter is now before the High Court, which granted bail, and there being no indications of when charges, if any, will be preferred, I order that this case be closed," the Principal Magistrate ruled.
Reacting to the ruling, Senior Counsel James Orengo lauded the court for upholding its integrity and resisting political manipulation.
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He expressed concern about where the county was headed if police could arrest an individual and hold him in their custody for several days before charging him in court.
Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino, who was also part of Njagi's legal team, termed the ruling a victory for justice.
"Today at Kajiado Law Courts, we represented activist Bob Njagi, who was charged with treason. The court found that the case had no merit and dismissed it.
"We would like to remind the DCI that Kenya is a country governed by law. Ensure you have enough evidence before presenting any law-abiding citizen to court," Babu reiterated.
On his part, Njagi thanked his legal team and several human rights organisations for standing with him. He vowed to continue with his quest to advocate for the rights of Kenyans.
Njagi was released after spending seven days in police custody. The activist had been arrested for allegedly mobilising youth to participate in the Gen Z protest commemoration.
Following his arrest on June 25, lawyer Levi Munyeri said Njagi was arrested at Kitengela Matatu Stage, where he had been addressing a group of young people during a two-day police crackdown targeting demonstrators.
