The case against Booker Omole, general secretary of the Communist Party Marxist – Kenya, began to unravel during a pre-trial hearing on March 9 after the main complainant withdrew his accusations.
Omole had been abducted without a warrant on February 24 by plainclothes officers, detained and allegedly tortured before being released on bail on March 3. In court, the landlord named by police as the principal complainant submitted an affidavit stating he was withdrawing his complaint and that he had never seen Omole threaten anyone with a firearm.
Police had accused Omole of illegal possession and misuse of a gun. However, Kenya’s Firearms Licensing Board of Kenya confirmed that the weapon was legally registered to him. The prosecution has since attempted to revise the charges.
Omole says the case was fabricated to target him for his political activities. He was arrested near Nairobi while traveling from Isiolo and claims the police narrative contains multiple contradictions. Authorities also alleged that money found in an apartment linked to the case was intended to fund an insurgency, a claim the apartment’s owner rejected.
During his detention, Omole was held in overcrowded remand facilities and spent time in isolation before being transferred to a prison block housing prisoners accused of serious crimes. He says he used the time to hold political discussions with inmates and even some prison wardens.
With the key witness withdrawing and evidence contradicting the police account, Omole believes the case may soon collapse. If the charges are dismissed, he says he plans to pursue legal action for wrongful arrest and detention.
