There was drama at a Mombasa court when 11 people accused of violating Covid-19 guidelines told the magistrate to charge them with being members of the separatist Mombasa Republican Council.
They refused to answer to charges of violating social distancing guidelines, the offence for which they were arrested.
In 2012, the High Court ruled to legitimise the MRC and its activities and lifting th ban was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in July 2016. MRC had been classified as a criminal organization.
Since the ruling, police have avoided charging suspects with being members of the group.
The accused are Hamisi Luphutsu, Salim Mwavumbani, Juma Mwakuyu, Abdalla Mwajondo, Abdalla Mbindo, Mohammed Mwandunga, Shaban Mwatsama, Alfan Tunu, Athman Zecha, Jumamosi Goga and Hassan Konga.
It was alleged that on April 30 at Maweni area in Likoni, they were jointly found meeting in a public area without maintaining social distancing.
They maintained they were MRC members an were arrested during MRC activities.
“We were arrested over links to the MRC, not issues to do with masks or Covid-19,” they told the magistrate.
The accused faulted the police for allegedly arresting them over their links to MRC and not what they were charged with at the court.
They questioned why the police altered the charge sheet to read differently from what they were arrested for.
However, Magistrate Rita Amwayi could hear none of their claims and noted that the accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
She released them on Sh30,000 bond.
They were said to have had MRC identification cards and the group’s flag.
They were allegedly taking an oath of secrecy.
Police alleged that books that contained names of MRC members together with details of their monthly contributions and training manuals were recovered during the arrest.
Whenever the electioneering period nears, the possibility of Mombasa republican council rising again is very high.
They are fears that gangs might use the constitutional gap to disguise themselves under MRC banner thereafter committing crimes.
The matter will be mentioned on May 17.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
