Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has accused judges and magistrates of setting unreasonable bail and bond terms, calling it a form of pre-trial punishment.
Havi alleged that some judicial officers are corrupt and are using bail decisions to penalise suspects even before they are convicted.
His comments came after chaos erupted at the Thika Law Courts yesterday, where relatives of 58 suspects protested steep bail terms of Sh100,000 in cash or a Sh300,000 bond, issued to young people charged with robbery with violence during the July 7 Saba Saba protests.
Havi, who is calling for a review of the bail and bond policy, said judicial officers must assess suspects' financial capacity before setting bail. "Magistrates must stop being compromised...the buck stops with the head of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice.
