Kassim Abdi Sebo has accused police officers of mistreating him while in custody, as his lawyer called for his client to be given access to legal representation before answering to an assault charge at a Kisii court.

Sebo appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Caroline Cheruiyot on Monday, October 12, where he was charged with assault causing actual bodily harm contrary to Section 251 of the Penal Code.

The charge relates to an alleged assault on Maurice Auko at Homa Bay Bus Terminal in Homa Bay Township on July 9, 2026.

Sebo initially pleaded guilty, but his lawyer, Counsel Nyamweya, asked the court to defer the proceedings, claiming that his client had been denied access to legal counsel and had been subjected to torture.

“My client was arrested on Friday morning, taken through several police stations and denied access to counsel,” Nyamweya told the court.

Coerced to plead guilty

The lawyer alleged that Sebo had been tortured and placed under duress, which affected his decision to admit to the charge.

“He was being mishandled by the police before any further proceedings,” Nyamweya said.

He condemned what he described as attempts by police officers to conceal the alleged mistreatment and urged the court to protect his client’s rights.

Nyamweya said Sebo needed adequate legal advice to understand the charge and its possible consequences before making a plea.

Speaking in court, Sebo also claimed that police officers had denied him access to his family and damaged his business during his arrest.

“I was arrested in my shop, didn’t resist, my business was destroyed. I was denied access to my family,” he told the court.

However, prosecutor Vera Amolo told the court that Sebo had not complained about the language used during the plea-taking process and had indicated that he understood it.

Amolo said the prosecution did not oppose the request to defer the matter to allow the accused person to receive further guidance.

“We do not oppose seeking guidance on the matter, and it can be mentioned tomorrow,” she said.

In her ruling, Magistrate Cheruiyot deferred the plea-taking proceedings to Tuesday, October 13, to allow the matter to proceed after the concerns raised by the defence.

She ordered that Sebo be remanded at Kisii Central Police Station and directed the Officer Commanding Station to allow his legal team access to him.

Sebo was arrested at Homa Bay Bus Stage on Thursday night, October 8, after police officers executed a warrant issued by the Homa Bay Law Courts on August 14, 2026. The warrant was linked to the assault case. 

The allegations of torture and mistreatment raised by Sebo and his lawyer remain claims that have not been independently verified.

The court is expected to revisit the matter on Tuesday, October 13.