Two people among them an Eldoret trader and a cereal farmer charged with stoning a chopper carrying ODM leader Raila Odinga nearly two years ago have been put on their defence.
This is after an Eldoret court ruled they have a case to answer.
In his ruling, Senior Principal Magistrate Mogire Onkoba put Abednego Kemboi and Kenneth Sawe in their defence.
The two were arraigned in court in connection to malicious damage to property, willfully and unlawfully destroying an aircraft and creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
They allegedly attacked the chopper on April 1, 2022, during the burial of a prominent Eldoret farmer-cum-politician Jackson Kibor in Kabenesarea in Uasin Gishu County.
According to the charge sheet, the two together with others not before the court while in the farm of the late Kibor, unlawfully caused damages to the helicopter making Euro copters-5Y-DSB white and black in colour at the front windscreen and right side screen valued at Sh577, 500, the property of Youth Limited.
They were also accused of endangering the safety of passengers and the aircraft in flight.
When they first appeared in court on April 27, 2022, they denied the charges.
Since then the court released each of the accused on Sh300,000 bond with similar surety.
Police attached to the directorate of criminal investigations department had arrested 17 people over the incident but later freed 15 of them after DCI detectives led by Richard Polo told the court that there was no evidence linking them to the offence.
Already 14 witnesses have testified in their defence.
Lawyer George Sonkule told the court he intends to present the remaining witnesses in court during the next defence hearing.
“Since this is a matter of public interest, I intend to present my remaining six witnesses in court during the next hearing so as we conclude it and wait for the ruling and determination of this court,” Sonkule told the court.
The court directed the defence hearing to continue on January 24.
