By BRIAN MUSYOKA
Manyatta Member of Parliament Gitonga Mukunji has obtained anticipatory bail from the High Court in Embu as investigations continue into the violence that erupted at Nembure Stadium during a political meeting attended by Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki.
Mukunji moved to court on September 15, 2026, seeking protection against possible arrest in connection with the September 12 incident, which left two people dead and property destroyed.
Justice Magare Dennis Kizito Ngwono certified the application as urgent and directed that the respondents be served with the court papers by close of business on September 16.
The respondents have been given until September 23 to file their responses, with the matter scheduled to return to court on September 29 for directions.
Under the orders issued by the court, Mukunji is required to provide a Sh1 million bond or, alternatively, Sh500,000 cash bail. The court also directed that he report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi on September 21.
Justice Ngwono, however, made it clear that the anticipatory bail does not stop the police or other investigating agencies from continuing with their inquiries or charging the MP if evidence supports such action.
The court's intervention comes amid growing scrutiny over the events at Nembure, where a UDA delegates' meeting addressed by DP Kindiki descended into violence, resulting in deaths, injuries and destruction of vehicles.
Mukunji has consistently denied any involvement in the confrontation and has condemned the violence, saying he should not be held responsible for the deaths and destruction witnessed at the venue.
In a letter to the National Police Service dated September 15,2026 through his lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, the MP has also questioned what he described as conflicting messages from government officials regarding whether he was a subject of police investigations.
His legal team said Mukunji was particularly concerned after Government Spokesperson Charles Owino publicly indicated that police were pursuing him over the Nembure incident, which they said differed from earlier statements attributed to police indicating that he was not under investigation.
Mukunji has demanded what he described as a comprehensive, transparent and impartial investigation into the violence, insisting that the process should not be influenced by political considerations or selective prosecution.
The legislator has also called for investigations into the conduct of Kindiki, claiming that the Deputy President was heard issuing instructions to police officers during the meeting. Mukunji argues that the circumstances surrounding those alleged orders should also be examined as part of establishing what happened at Nembure.
He further accused security agencies of subjecting him and his family to intimidation and surveillance, and demanded that officers stop what he described as harassment around his home and the targeting of his family members. His lawyers have maintained that he is ready to cooperate with any lawful investigation and asked that any request for his attendance by police or the DCI be communicated through his advocates.
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