Taxi Driver Arraigned In Court For Smuggling 22 Women

A taxi driver was yesterday arraigned in court for smuggling 19 Ugandan and three Burundian women into the country.

Evans Ondari was arraigned before a Milimani court and was accused of committing the offence at Tasia in Embakasi area. The accused has however pleaded not guilty to the charge and id not object to his release on bond.

Ondari who wasn’t represented by a lawyer informed the court that he hadn’t been able to communicate with his family since his phone was confiscated. When he made a request to have the phone released, he was met with an objection from the State because the phone was an exhibition in this accusation.

Mui Mulelo, an Immigration Department Prosecutor, made an appeal to the court to have the matter heard as soon as possible as the women were being held at their offices.

“Your honour, we don’t have facilities to keep these kind of people, it’s strenuous on us, we apply that this matter be heard as early as tomorrow (Friday) so that we can release them, ” Mulelo lamented.

There was a bit of drama during the proceedings as the accused’s brother stormed the court demanding to be heard. He informed Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot that he wanted to hire a lawyer to defend his brother.

The accused was later released on Sh5 million bond with an alternative of Sh2 million cash bail.