A hate speech case against former Machakos senator Johnson Muthama failed to proceed in court today.
The hearing that was scheduled to start today (Monday) at the Milimani Chief Magistrates court in Nairobi failed to proceed because trial Magistrate, Francis Andaya is on leave.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku while mentioning the case, directed that the trial will proceed on May 16, 2018 when the trial magistrate will have resumed duty.
The prosecution and the defense told court that they were ready to start the trial.
“We were ready to start the trial and show court that my client Mr Muthama is innocent of the charges leveled against him,” John Khaminwa, the lawyer representing the former senator told court.
Muthama is charged with incitement to violence.
He is accused of allegedly uttering inflammatory remarks calculated at causing violence and injury persons at a rally in Isinya Town, Kajiado County on September 10, 2017.
The former senator is charged alongside Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and had denied the charge when he was arraigned in court in 2017.
Muthama is out on a cash bail of Sh300, 000.