A Nairobi court on Wednesday dismissed an application by controversial televangelist and founder of Ekeza Sacco David Kariuku Ngari alias Gakuyo to have his bail terms reviewed.
Gakuyo has been in remand for more than a week now after he was granted bail which he apparently cannot afford.
While dismissing the application Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi said the court should ensure bond and bail terms given are not far greater than what is necessary to ensure the accused person attends court
“I am of the view that the bond/bail terms set on February 26, 2024 are reasonable and commensurable to the offences Gakuyo is facing,” he ruled.
The court also acknowledged the nature and seriousness of the offence and the circumstances that led to the arrest of the accused person at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Gakuyo moved to court on February 29, under certificate of urgency urging the court to review his bond terms downwards.
Ekhubi had on February 26, released Gakuyo on a bond of Sh20 million and an alternative cash bail of Sh10 million after he denied conspiring to steal over Sh1 billion Sacco members and 12 counts of obtaining money by false pretense.
Gakuyo alleges that he has been unable to raise the bail and bond terms imposed on him since he has no source of income and no properties that can accumulate to sum up the value of the bond terms.
As a result he has been in custody for more than ten days.
During the hearing of the application the defence reiterated that the accused person was unable to raise the bond terms and further urged that the bond and bail terms are purely a discretion of the court.
They asked the court to exercise the discretion guided by the judiciary bond and bail guidelines.
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