Nairobi Gubernatorial aspirant bishop Margaret Wanjiru has been arraigned in court and charged with malicious damage to property.
Wanjiru is alleged to have destroyed four ballot boxes and assorted ballot papers valued at Sh 30,000 at city park market jubilee polling station in Westlands, Nairobi County.
The aspirant is said to have committed the offense willfully and unlawfully on April 26th 2017 with others not before court.
Wanjiru has also been charged with creating disturbance and it is alleged that on the same day at city park market in Westlands with others not before court forcefully stormed jubilee party polling station and disrupted the voting process for the jubilee party primary nominations.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi.
The Director of Public Prosecution however, objected to the accused being released on bail on grounds that she is an influential person there is a likelihood that she may intimidate the witnesses and they are yet to record statements.
DPP prosecutor Alloys Kemo further add that investigations are still ongoing and that more charges may be preferred against Wanjiru.
The prosecutor told the court that from the investigations so far, the accused was accompanied by a group of 50 people who were rowdy and chaotic and stormed the polling station.
The polling clerks, fearing for their safety disappeared from the scene due to the tension that was created by the accused person adding that the said clerks are yet to be traced to record statements.
However, Wanjiru’s lawyer objected the application saying that his client is a well-known person as she is a Nairobi Gubernatorial seat.
He added that more charges being preferred against his client is not a ground or compelling reason to deny her bond.
The Magistrate will make his ruling on whether to grant her bail or not this afternoon.
