Renowned comedian and activist Eric Omondi was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Monday, where he faced charges of creating a disturbance.
According to the charge sheet, Omondi, along with others not before the court, allegedly poured Sukuma wiki (kales) along Parliament Road on June 4, 2024, disrupting operations and breaching the peace.
Omondi pleaded not guilty before Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi and was released on a Sh5,000 cash bail. The case is set for hearing on December 4, 2024.
Magistrate Ekhubi expressed concern over Omondi’s weekend detention, stating, “You don’t need to keep somebody in custody for the whole weekend for a misdemeanor.”
The incident in question took place during protests against the controversial 2024 Finance Bill, where Omondi led a group of women to Parliament Road, symbolically pouring Sukuma wiki to block the path used by Members of Parliament.
Omondi, who also serves as a Skyward Airline ambassador, was arrested on Friday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while preparing to board the airline’s inaugural flight to Dar-es-Salaam.
“I have been arrested at JKIA just before boarding a flight to Dar-es-Salaam,” Omondi stated on social media, adding that immigration officers informed him of a stop order and detained him.
The comedian has been a vocal opponent of the 2024 Finance Bill, which was later withdrawn by President William Ruto’s administration.
