Milimani court frees 16 boda boda riders arrested after boda boda incident in Nairobi

Sixteen boda boda riders suspected to have participated in the assault of a female motorist along Professor Wangari Maathai Road in Nairobi have been released. However, one suspect will be charged over the molestation of the diplomat.

According to Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Nanzushi, the riders have been released after the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) said no case has been disclosed against them.

The 16 on Monday, March 28 were asked to collect their personal belongings, including lDs and motorbikes from Gigiri Police Station.

"The investigating officer having found no evidence to charge the suspects, I hereby release them," ruled senior principal magistrate Nanzushi.

Some of the suspects accused of assaulting a female motorist on Wangari Maathai Road. Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group Pulse Live Kenya

Life imprisonment

The 17th man, Zachariah Nyaore Obadiah, the alleged ringleader of the attack, will however stand trial, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if found guilty of sexual assault.

He was arrested on March 14, near the Tanzania border, some 430 kilometres northwest of Nairobi after evading arrest through a sewer duct, police said.

Using digital forensics, cybercrime experts at the DCI National Forensic Laboratory, had earlier placed the thug at the scene of the crime scientifically, before launching a manhunt for him.

Forest Road assault suspect Zachariah Nyaora Obadia Pulse Live Kenya

Zacharia was also positively identified to be in the assault video by his wife and relatives. “I was arrested by police while passing through the scene of crime while proceeding to drop a client,” Nyaore told Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki.

“My photo was then circulated in both electronic, print and social media depicting me as the key suspect. I was worried and fearing for my life then I decided to go into hiding,” he concluded.