A sitting Nairobi Member of County Assembly (MCA) and two of his associates have been charged before the Makadara Law Courts over an alleged robbery with violence in Donholm that left several victims injured and robbed of cash, mobile phones and other valuables.
Aaron Kang’ara Wangare, popularly known as “Rooney” and the MCA for Viwandani Ward in Makadara Sub-County, appeared before Principal Magistrate Juliana Ndeng’eri alongside Zablon Kirima Mwangi and Kepha Muiyoro Wanjiru, where they pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges.
The trio was arraigned following investigations into a violent robbery that allegedly occurred on June 26, 2026, in Donholm, Nairobi County. According to investigators, the three suspects allegedly attacked and violently robbed three victims of cash and valuables before fleeing the scene. They face charges of robbery with violence, theft and malicious damage to property.
According to the prosecution, the accused, acting jointly with others who are still at large, stormed a disputed business premises and ordered workers, including attendants at a public toilet, to stop operating their businesses.
The court heard that when Moses Ochieng’ Okumu questioned their actions, the accused allegedly attacked and robbed him of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold mobile phone valued at Sh84,000, a 450-gram silver chain worth Sh44,000 and Sh34,000 in cash. The total value of the stolen property was estimated at about Sh170,000.
The prosecution further alleged that the accused robbed Ian Ndirangu Muturi of an Infinix mobile phone valued at Sh20,000 and Samuel Njihia Mwaniki of another mobile phone worth Sh40,000 during the same incident.
In another count, the trio is accused of breaking into the shop of Josephat Kibwana Mukamba and stealing assorted motorcycle spare parts valued at Sh62,523 together with a motorcycle worth Sh120,000.
The prosecution also told the court that two days later, the accused allegedly returned to the disputed premises armed with metal rods and machetes.
They are accused of assaulting people found at the premises while demanding to see the property’s manager, James Kuria Mwaniki, who was not present at the time.
During the incident, they allegedly destroyed two water tanks valued at Sh165,000. They are also accused of stealing a desktop CPU tower, a Samsung television monitor, a DVR recorder and four rolls of CCTV cable. Outdoor CCTV cameras and a water pump belonging to Mwaniki, valued at Sh104,568, were also allegedly damaged and stolen.
According to the prosecution, the violence arose from a dispute over the ownership and management of the business premises, which housed a public toilet, car wash, auto spare parts shop and herbal clinic managed by Mwaniki.
Defence lawyer Macharia Kenneth urged the court to grant the accused reasonable bond terms, arguing that they remain innocent until proven guilty.
“A person should not be punished by the sheer strength of the charge sheet,” he submitted.
Macharia told the court that Zablon Kirima Mwangi is a Nairobi County official appointed by the Governor, while Kepha Muiyoro Wanjiru serves as the personal assistant to the MCA. He also described Wangare as a family man with four children, saying all three are residents within the court’s jurisdiction and are not flight risks.
State Counsel Edsan Papai did not oppose their release but asked the court to bar the accused from contacting the victims or interfering with witnesses.
In her ruling, Principal Magistrate Juliana Ndeng’eri found that there were no compelling reasons to deny the accused bail. However, she directed that they must not intimidate, threaten or influence victims and should not visit the disputed premises while the case is pending.
The court released each accused on a bond of Sh1 million or an alternative cash bail of Sh500,000.
