No more being detained on a petty offense

Relief to naughty Kenyans in minor crimes as it is officiall illegal to detain petty offenders.

This follows the office of the inspector general of police approving the new National Police Service(bail) and Bond Charter that aims at saving petty offenders from detention.

According to the Charter, persons who fall victims to arbitrary swoops by police for being drunk and disorderly, loitering, being found without a national identity card, and drunk drivers who fail the alcoblow test will no longer be arrested or forced to pay cash bail.

“We shall not remand you in custody for minor offenses, if the offense is punishable by a fine only or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months” Clause two of the Charter reads.

Most traffic offenders, apart from those accused of serious offenses like causing death, will either be given free bonds or released unconditionally.

Such offenders however will instead be informed to appear in court, on convenient dates, after being issued with free police bonds.

A while back traffic police in Nakuru found themselves on the wrong side of Principal Magistrate Joe Omido while presenting traffic offenders for prosecution.

He reprimanded them accusing them of detaining the offenders for long hours before arraigning them.

Omido wondered why some offenders who were arrested at 8 am were being brought to court at noon.

Clause seven of the Charter stipulates that in case where a suspect is issued with cash bail, it shall be availed to court or refunded to the suspect in a timely and expeditious manner

The NPS Director of Communication Charles Owino noted that the move would help in decongesting the stations.