Court Orders Raila Driver to Face Violent Robbery Case

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Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's driver is to answer to the charge of robbery with violence.

Justice Isaac Lenaola made the ruling yesterday at the High Court in Milimani, Nairobi.

Driver Eric Ominde has been charged with violently robbing and sexually assaulting security officer Nancy Sambaror at a Cord rally on July 5 in Kirembe area of Kisumu East district.

Lenaola gave the order after lawyer James Orengo and state counsel Lilian Obwon agreed to settle on a date when Ominde will present himself in court.

The judge said Ominde can ask that a warrant of arrest against him be lifted after he appears in court.

When Ominde got wind of the warrant, he filed an application seeking orders to stop the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Inspector General of Police from arresting him.

In his affidavit, he said he was arrested by police on July 5 at Kisumu International Airport before politicians intervened to have him released.


"I seek an anticipatory bail pending the hearing of my application," Ominde said in the affidavit.

On the day, there was a confrontation between security officers and Raila’s supporters at the airport after police nabbed Ominde on allegations of incitement.

The driver had just dropped Raila at the airport when Criminal Investigation Department officers pounced on him.

Ominde was arrested and handcuffed, ready to be taken to the cells, when Raila’s bodyguards and civilians forced the officers to set him free.

Airport security and a number of Raila’s guards drew their guns, as a heated argument ensued.
Cord supporters who joined the disagreement shouted down the police, pushing and shoving, forcing the officers to remove the handcuffs and release Ominde.

Raila and other Cord leaders, including Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula, were in the VIP lounge when the confrontation was going on.

The charge sheet for Ominde states that he robbed CID officer Sambaror of two Sony recorders, a Sony digital camera, a mobile phone and Sh7,500 cash.

The value of cash and property taken from her is estimated at Sh74,500.Ominde has also been charged with sexually assaulting Sambaror on the day.

She who was on duty in Kirembe grounds, the venue of the Cord rally that Raila, Kalonzo and Wetangula addressed.

The officer, and others, were beaten during the rally as they attempted to take video and audio recordings of speeches by the Cord luminaries.

Kisumu CID boss David Cheruiyot described as “unfortunate” the beating of his officers during the rally as the crowd accused them of making the records to fix Raila. - The Star

"The officer, and others, were beaten during the rally as they attempted to take video and audio recordings of speeches by the Cord luminaries."

And people wonder why there was a heavy police presence at the Saba Saba rally. These clowns can't even conduct a party election and they criticized the government for deploying adequate security to ensure a safe & peaceful rally.

If Raila's driver was involved in a violent confrontation with a law enforcement officer, he needs to appear in court to answer to the charges. He can't hide behind the tired old line that the government is out to prosecute the Opposition. Rapists are worse than murderers in my honest opinion. If that suspect is guilty of said crimes, he should spend the next 25 years behind bars with hard labor.