A 28-year-old man charged with the murder of his biological son in Otavi made his first appearance before the town's magistrate court.

Thomas Muronga is accused of fatally injuring his two-year-old son, Jason Muronga.

He allegedly forcibly took the child from his 24-year-old girlfriend, who is also the baby's mother, and then proceeded to a railway line in the town. There, it is alleged, he struck the child's head against concrete poles twice.

Jason died of severe head injuries the same day at the Otjiwarongo State Hospital.

Appearing before Magistrate Ounjadere Ndjiharine on Monday, Muronga expressed his intention to request legal aid representation for his forthcoming formal bail application.

Muronga is further charged with one count of murder and another of assault, the latter stemming from an incident where he stabbed a police officer during a confrontation aimed at his arrest.

The state, represented by prosecutor Elena Doeses, objected to the granting of bail.

The reasons cited include ongoing investigations, concerns over the accused interfering with witnesses, the public interest surrounding the case, and the potential endangerment of the accused's life if released at this juncture.

His case has been postponed to October 11 of this year.