By: Vivian Navate
The trial of comedian Eric Omondi, who is accused of causing obstruction and threatening members of the public along Parliament Road, took a dramatic turn yesterday as police witnesses faced a grueling cross-examination over their accounts of the June 4, 2024, incident.
Appearing before Milimani Principal Magistrate Carolyne Nyaguthii on January 22, 2026, a police officer identified as Miriam testified that she was on duty at the Senate Gate when Omondi arrived at noon. She described a scene where the comedian, accompanied by about 20 women and five young men, began scattering ‘sukuma wiki’ in front of the gate while holding a stick and a loudspeaker.
The officer told the court that the demonstration quickly turned into a scene of orchestrated chaos.
“Alikua ameshika kitu inakaa rungu na hand loudspeaker, alafu alikua anawatishia hao wamama na anawakimbiza na kuwachapa na hio rungu,’’ Miriam stated, claiming Omondi beat the women to make them scream and cause a disturbance. She added that the group carried placards reading “Mama mboga amechoka, wabunge ni wasaliti.”
This account was supported by Police Corporal Kigen, who testified that he arrived to find a large crowd and identified Omondi among those scattering vegetables. When asked by the prosecutor what he witnessed, Kigen was emphatic: “Eric Omondi was beating the women with a stick.”
However, the state’s case faced a significant challenge during cross-examination by defense lawyer Gabriel Ochieng. Under sustained questioning, both Miriam and Kigen conceded that they had not established whether the demonstration had been approved by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) before making the arrests. They further admitted that no evidence had been placed before the court to prove the protest was unlawful or lacked police clearance.
The credibility of the witnesses was further brought into question when it emerged that neither officer had provided proof that they were actually on duty that day. Mr. Ochieng put it to the witnesses that they could be lying, as no duty rosters or deployment records were produced to verify their presence at the scene.
Mr. Ochieng also pointed out a glaring contradiction in the testimony regarding the alleged assault. He challenged the claim that Omondi was beating the protesters, noting that the officers had already testified that the comedian had arrived at the scene as part of the same group he was now accused of attacking.
While the prosecution maintains that Omondi obstructed traffic and threatened the public by lying on the road, it emerged during the hearing that a formal notice for the intended public procession had been received by the police on May 22, 2024, nearly two weeks before the event.
Magistrate Nyaguthii adjourned the case, directing that the hearing will continue on February 18, 2026, at the Milimani Law Courts.
