Senator Njoroge appears in court over gun drama

Nominated Senator Paul Njoroge was charged in a Naivasha court on Wednesday morning with creating a disturbance, following a shooting at a petrol station he operates.

In his submissions, lawyer Steve Luseno, representing Vivo Energy Kenya Managing Director Polycarp Igathe and two others, called for proper investigations into the incident by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He said the charges brought against Mr Njoroge were likely to “insulate a crime that was committed.”

He also claimed that the charge sheet did not reflect the recorded statements and complaint launched by his clients.

For example, he said, a firearm owned by the accused was not mentioned and urged the court to bar the accused from making telephone calls to the lawyer's clients

Mr Luseno also wanted the matter to be heard in another court, preferably in Nairobi, calling Mr Njoroge “influential and with a huge following” in Naivasha Sub-County.

PLEA-TAKING SUSPENSION URGED

He requested the court to suspend Mr Njoroge's plea taking until the issues he raised are addressed.

The senator's lawyer, Francis Mburu, asked the court to reject the submissions, arguing that the charges could be amended, altered or substituted.

He said offences are tried where they occurred unless under special circumstances, adding that the senator had already being disarmed.

“The cases should also not be taken where the complainants are comfortable,” said Mr Mburu.

He said the complainants were insinuating that police officers investigating the case had been compromised and were not making in-depth investigations.

Prosecutors argued that the case was professionally investigated and the charges were not defective.

The court is expected to rule in the afternoon on whether the senator will take a plea.

Mr Njoroge was arrested after he shot twice in the air on Tuesday with his pistol when rival groups clashed at the disputed petrol station on the outskirts of Naivasha town.

Mr Igathe had gone to the station with a team to recover Shell/Vivo assets when the shooting happened.

Mr Igathe said the station, which has been on probation since November, has been running with no working capital, contrary to Energy Regulatory Commission rules.