The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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A Nairobi court has issued a warrant of arrest against Nairobi City County official John Gombe Osike after he failed to appear in court in a case linked to the collapse of a building in South C.
Osike is among several individuals facing charges over the incident. He is accused of neglecting his duties as a public officer by allegedly failing to halt the construction of Mamzil Towers on Land Reference No. 209/5909/10 (Nairobi Block 68/1306) despite alleged non-compliance with building regulations.
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The court also directed that summonses be issued to the other accused persons who were absent, requiring them to appear in court and respond to the charges against them. The matter will be mentioned again on July 27.
During Monday’s proceedings, prosecutor Nora Otieno requested the court to issue warrants of arrest for the fifth to the tenth accused persons, arguing that they had failed to honour court summons despite previously being given an opportunity to appear voluntarily.
The prosecution told the court that no explanations or medical documents had been provided to justify their absence.
Defence lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui opposed the application, stating that two of the accused had legitimate reasons for missing court.
According to the defence, the fifth accused, Patrick Analo, was unwell and medical records would be presented once they became available. They also said the sixth accused, Frederick Ondari, had travelled upcountry to attend a funeral.
The defence further assured the court that both accused persons would appear during the next mention and noted that the fifth accused had already collected the court summons from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
After hearing both sides, the court issued a warrant of arrest against John Gombe Osike and ordered that fresh summonses be served on the remaining absent accused persons ahead of the next court appearance scheduled for July 27.
