Five top lawyers in Alcoblow blacklist
Five top city lawyers have been classed by police as habitual offenders after they were arrested twice in as many days for drunken driving.
And police have asked magistrates to impose heavy penalties on them.
The lawyers who all work in Nairobi were first arrested on during the on-going crackdown on drink driving on Friday night, but were released after paying Sh20,000 cash bail on the understanding that they will present themselves in court Monday morning.
But the following night all five were arrested again during a similar crackdown.
Cash bail
They were allowed to go home after paying another Sh20,000 cash bail.
Police have since written to the magistrate at Kibera law courts recommending heavy penalties for the five because, they say, they are “habitual offenders.”
“Those who were arrested both on Friday and Saturday paid the Sh20,000 for each of the days, but their names will be highlighted as habitual offenders and we want the magistrate to consider having them pay heftily” said Traffic Commandant Samuel Kimaru.
He declined to disclose their identities as they have not yet been formally charged.
“People who flout traffic rules must be punished just like any other Kenyan because they use the same roads and nobody is above the law,” he said.
Mr Kimaru revealed that senior security officials were also arrested during the Friday swoop.
Most were allowed to go home after paying the Sh20,000 cash bail. They too will be charged in court today.
The lawyers and top officials were among 71 people arrested on various city roads on Friday and Saturday.
Police say all offenders found guilty of driving under the influence must be arrested and fined irrespective of their positions in society.
“We are arresting any driver found driving under the influence, we do not care about one’s status in society, so long as we find you drunk, we will arrest you and take you to court.
“The law cuts both ways, the high and the lowly,” said Mr Charles Kaitany, head of the Highway Police Unit.
He also added that scores of motorists who had jumped bail after being arrested while during Christmas and New year have since been arrested and charged in court.
“We have caught up with most of them. Because they had jumped bail, they were forced to forfeit the cash besides paying the fines for drunk driving,” he added.
Last month, magistrate Charles Mwaniki was arrested and fined Sh20,000 in a private hearing for driving under the influence.
And there was uproar after a Supreme Court judge and a High Court were set free in separate cases in spite of failing the roadside breath test.
The High Court judge was arrested on Ngong Road as he drove towards Karen shortly before midnight while the Supreme Court judge was allowed to drive away after he was arrested in mid- December for driving under the influence of alcohol.