Nairobi, Kenya, January 29, 2024 – In a recent development, a Nairobi Court has issued an arrest warrant against Abdihakim Saudi Jama, a suspect accused of assaulting a British national in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi. The warrant was issued by Makadara Senior Principal Magistrate Hellen Onkwani after Jama failed to appear in court for the hearing of the assault case against him, filed by Ayni Hussein Muhammad.
Muhammad had filed a lawsuit against Jama, accusing him of assault and causing her bodily harm on October 19, 2022, allegations that Jama has consistently denied. Despite paying a Sh50,000 bond to secure his freedom during the legal proceedings, Jama’s failure to appear in court prompted the cancellation of the bond.
During the court proceedings, Jama’s lawyer, Pharis Mbugua, explained that his client was abroad in China, attending to his ailing mother who is currently hospitalized. Mbugua requested the court to grant them another mention day, assuring the court that Jama would be present at the next hearing.
However, this is not the first time Jama has been absent from court. On December 14, 2023, he failed to appear once again, with reports suggesting that he was out of the country. The prosecution argued that Jama’s repeated absence indicated a deliberate attempt to use delaying tactics in the case.
The complainant’s lawyer, Abdul Hakim, expressed concern over Jama’s lack of respect for the court, emphasizing that such behavior was detrimental to the legal process. Charles Marwa, a DCI officer from the serious crimes unit, informed the court that Jama was under investigation for allegedly issuing threats against the life of the complainant.
The case involves a complex background, with Muhammad, a British national of Somali origin, accusing Jama, her former employee, of attempting to take over her business in Eastleigh during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Muhammad claimed that while she was abroad due to the pandemic, Jama registered her three shops under his name, leading to a legal dispute upon her return.
Muhammad alleged that community and elder interventions resulted in a suggested compromise – dividing the three shops between them. However, she refused, arguing that she had solely invested in the shops by stocking them, paying rent, and covering other employees’ salaries.
The court has set the next mention day for the case on February 22, 2024. Additionally, Jama faces another charge at a Milimani court where he is accused of obtaining registration by false pretense. Charged on July 11, 2023, Jama denied the allegations and was released on a cash bail of Sh30,000.
According to the prosecution, Jama is accused of wilfully procuring a Kenyan national identity card by falsely pretending to be the son of Fatuma Mohamed between March 01, 2011, and June 03, 20212, in Isiolo county. This charge adds another layer of legal complexity to the ongoing legal battles involving Abdihakim Saudi Jama.