Bondo: The commencement of the hearing of the case pitting 19 suspects charged with malicious damage of property and incitement to violence during a nuclear energy public participation session in Bondo has been postponed to September 15, 2026. The suspects who appeared before Bondo Resident Magistrate Christabel Maiyo were informed of the postponement of their matter following the absence of Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, who was designated to hear the case.
According to Kenya News Agency, court records indicate that on July 24, 2026, at Ka John Center in Central Sakwa, the 19 suspects, along with others not present in court, willfully and unlawfully damaged the windscreens of motor vehicles. The affected vehicles include a Subaru Forester GKC 958 B, an Isuzu Dmax GKB 442 Z, and a Toyota Hillux KCW 259 Y belonging to the NIS Department of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Siaya County, with damages valued at over Sh 420,000.
The suspects also face an additional charge of incitement to violence. This charge stems from their alleged unlawful publication of placards carrying the message ‘Wadagi Nuclear’, which translates to ‘we don’t want nuclear’. The placards reportedly encouraged passers-by to stone individuals from Ka John Center, an act intended to provoke violence and property damage.
Currently, the suspects are out on Sh15,000 cash bail or a Sh50,000 bond. This bail was previously granted by a Bondo court after their charges were revised from terrorism to malicious damage of property and incitement to violence.
