Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya is expected to appear before the Milimani Law Courts today for a pre-trial conference in a case where he is facing hate speech charges.
The proceedings follow his dramatic arrest on May 16 along the Isiolo–Nanyuki highway. According to Salasya, he was ambushed by armed individuals identifying themselves as officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), disarmed, and briefly disappeared before resurfacing in police custody at the Nairobi Central Police Station.
He was later arraigned in court and charged with hate speech linked to remarks and online content deemed inciteful.
The MP denied the charges and was released on a cash bail of KSh200,000 granted by Milimani Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai.
Earlier this month, the court dismissed a complaint by Salasya’s legal team that alleged violations of his rights while in custody. Magistrate Mutai ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the claims.
The court also rejected a separate request by the MP’s lawyers to have his confiscated firearm returned to his security detail. The magistrate ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to release the weapon, which remains held as part of the ongoing investigation.
Today’s session is expected to feature legal submissions from both the prosecution and the defence ahead of the trial.
The case has attracted public interest, with observers closely monitoring how the judiciary handles politically sensitive cases involving allegations of hate speech.