Court throws out assault case against MP Mburu over insufficient evidence

A Nairobi magistrate has acquitted Lari Member of Parliament Joseph Mburu in a case in which he was facing six counts of assaulting a police officer and flouting traffic rules for lack of sufficient evidence.

The Lari MP is alleged to have assaulted David Ruto, a police officer on December 6^th, 2013 at 10AM at the Globe Cinema roundabout.

The officer was at the time said to have been executing his duties.

Mburu was also charged with other counts of obstruction, driving a motor vehicle without a driving license, overlapping and failure to obey lawful instructions issued by a uniformed traffic police officer.

The Lawmaker is said to have left the car on the road in a manner likely to obstruct or cause inconveniences to other road users and allegedly failed to stop when asked to do so by the cop.

While delivering the ruling, Principal magistrate Cheruiyot Kipchumba said the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt.

In December 2013, the Lari MP was arrested over allegations of assaulting the said officer.

The injured officer, who said that he had a bruise and pain on the jaw following the assault at about 11 am, was treated at the Nairobi Outpatient clinic that is near the police station.

Central OCPD Patrick Oduma had said the legislator would appear in court to face charges of assault and overlapping among others.

Witnesses said the cop was floored in the drama.

In May 2013, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri was also arrested and charged in court for assaulting a female traffic officer in a similar road rage.