A Nairobi lawyer, Chacha Mwita, was Monday ordered to remain in police custody for several more days after a Kahawa Law Court ruled that the investigators needed more time to complete the inquiries into terrorism-related allegations against him.
Principal Magistrate Gedion Kiage said the court could not allow Mwita to take a plea before the investigative team finalises its work and submits evidence. He noted that the seriousness of the accusations demanded a careful and complete process, not a rushed one.
Mwita was arrested in Mombasa on November 14 and later taken to Nairobi, where he spent the weekend in custody. He is facing four charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, among them claims of offering services and financial support to terror-linked entities.
Prosecutors told the court that Mwita had been linked to a recruitment network in the Coastal region, allegedly helping young people to join extremist organisations. Detectives also claimed he used several mobile phone numbers to receive money from Binance accounts believed to be linked to financing terror activities in Kenya and abroad.
State prosecutor James Machirah told the magistrate that investigators were still tracing communication, financial records, and potential links to other suspects.
But Mwita’s defence team strongly held their ground. Advocates Lempaa Soyinka and Ayota Magati claimed that the charges were meant to criminalise work that is legally recognized. They argued that defending people facing terror-related charges is not a crime and cautioned that attacking lawyers may deny suspects legal representation a direct threat to the justice system.
They described Mwita as a professional doing his job and not someone involved in illegal networks.
The case will go back to court on December 1 for mention, during which time the judge is likely to take stock of the investigations’ progress and issue fresh directions.
