Three in Nairobi Court For Breaking 1-Metre Social Distancing Rule

Three men were arraigned at magistrate’s court in Nairobi and charged with failing to observe one-metre social distance during a meeting in the city centre.

Kevin Onyango Ndungu, Joseph Olare Omondi and Christopher Muchai were charged that on August 9, 2021, at Twiga Towers in Nairobi, they were found in the same area without keeping a social distance of not less than one meter from each other.

They also faced two other counts for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

Kevin Onyango and Joseph Omondi pleaded guilty to the count of not keeping social distance whereas Muchai denied the charge.

On the other two counts of resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, they all denied the charges and were released on a cash bail of Ksh10,000 each.

On allegedly violating the social distancing rule, Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi set them free on the basis that the government has allowed public transport to carry full capacity.

“Have considered the mitigation by the suspects and the fact that the government has eased some of the Covid-19 measures like in public transport. Even if they were to keep the one-metre social distance at the meeting while using matatu they will not keep that distance,” ruled the magistrate.