Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

- Kibera Law Courts has ordered six suspects linked to the murder of blogger Albert Owang to be detained for more days.

On June 4, the suspects, including Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, Police Constable James Mukhwana, Peter Kimani, John Gitau, Gin Ammitou alias Gilbeys, and Brian Mwanik, pleaded not guilty.

The suspect suffered a blow after Kibera Law Court judge Diana Kavedza dismissed their application seeking to be detained at various police stations awaiting a bail ruling.

In her ruling, Kavedza argued that once the suspects have taken their plea, they cannot continue being held in a police cell but should be transferred to a prison.

However, the judge allowed PC Mukhwana to be detained at Capital Hill Police Station, given that the prosecution did not object to his application.

"Once the plea has been taken, all accused persons are remanded to prison and not to police stations. Police stations are temporary holding cells where suspects are held for 24 hours before arraignment. Suspects may also be held for a longer period pending investigations where a misdemeanour application has been filed. That is not the case before me. I would therefore decline the invitation to have the first, third, fourth and fifth accused persons detained at the relevant police stations. However, the second accused person shall be detained at the Capitol Hill Police Station because the prosecution has no objection," Kavedza ruled.

The judge directed all the accused persons to be subjected to mental assessment at Mathare Mental Hospital, which she said is a good practice to establish whether they are fit to proceed with the hearing.

She ordered the probation officer to prepare a pre-bail report and table it in the next sitting, which will take place after one month and two weeks.

"Finally, the probation officer is directed to prepare a pre-bail report to guide this court before arraignment is done. This matter shall therefore be mentioned after one month and two weeks, as requested by the probation officer. Just to add that accused persons must know that justice moves very slowly," she ordered.

Source: TUKO.co.ke