A Nairobi court has freed a businessman being investigated for allegedly threatening to kill nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian, rejecting a police request to detain him for seven more days.
Alex Anyolo Kikuyu was released on a cash bail of Ksh 20,000 by Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina at Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday, after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sought to hold him at Muthaiga Police Station to complete investigations.
The suspect faces potential charges of threatening to kill contrary to Section 223 of the Penal Code and attempts at extortion by threats contrary to Section 300 of the Penal Code, stemming from an incident reported on January 27, 2026.
In his defense, Mr. Anyolo strongly denied the accusations, distancing himself from Samburu County politics.
“I did not threaten to kill the nominated Senator. I have no interest in Samburu County politics. I am concerned about Kakamega county politics, where I come from,” Mr. Anyolo told the court.
The businessman, who described himself as a family man, challenged police claims that he had no fixed abode and was a flight risk.
“I do not reside in a vehicle the way the bird resides in a nest. I have a fixed place of abode,” Anyolo told the court.
He further disputed the need for extended detention, noting that he was arrested while driving his own vehicle, which is currently held at DCI headquarters. He urged the court to grant him lenient cash bail pending conclusion of investigations.
Chief Magistrate Onyina observed that the suspect had a fixed place of abode and that police could conduct forensic analysis without detaining Mr. Anyolo. The court ordered that the matter be mentioned in two weeks for further directions.
According to court documents filed by Inspector George Ndungu, a police officer attached to DCI Headquarters Serious Crime Unit, Senator Lemaletian reported the incident on January 27, 2026, via DCI Complaint Reference Number CID/C/GEN/COMP/6/11/2026/33.
The court heard that Senator Lemaletian, who has been a nominated senator for Samburu County since 2022, received a series of threatening messages via WhatsApp while at her office in Bunge Towers.
During his arrest, Mr. Anyolo was found in possession of three mobile phones, a grey Techno 15, a whitish Oppo A24, and a black Momofly phone with a greenish strip, as well as one Safaricom SIM card and 23 additional Safaricom card holders.
Police had requested the detention to obtain bank and mobile money account statements, conduct forensic analysis of the electronic gadgets, and get mobile phone subscriber details and call data records from Safaricom and Airtel.
The investigation was classified as an organized crime matter and transferred to DCI headquarters in Nairobi for further investigation.
