Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi was allegedly a man under siege as police officers surrounded his Karen home on Wednesday night, February 8.
The former Minister’s lawyer Dunstan Omari addressed the press from Matiangi’s home claiming that the elite officers sought to arrest the former CS.
“My client is holed up as if he is a former fugitive in his own country. This is a former Minister in charge of security and the police. Civility must be retained. “We can’t have a rogue government that comes at midnight to arrest the former CS,” Said Omari and maintained that the former CS’s life was in danger.
“They want to arrest our client, but no offence was disclosed. I can confirm to every Kenyan in this country that the life of Matiang’i is at risk. “We do not know the intention of wanting to invade Matiang’i’s home at this time of the night. We don’t know where they want to arrest and take him.” said the lawyer and confirmed that 200 lawyers had camped at the Matiangi’s home to confront the police.
“Our client is ready to be summoned to go and appear before any police station and record a statement if they have anything to charge him with,” he added.
Later in the night, Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga made his way to Matiangi’s home and questioned the elite squad’s decision to visit the home deep into the night instead of waiting to resolve their issues legally and through the right channels. “I have just received information that the police had surrounded the home of the former Interior Minister Matiang’i, and I was shocked to hear that this is happening at this hour.” said the former Prime Minister
“They say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We are witnessing what this country has been through before. The times of late-night arrests and detentions of people without any formal charges. This is what appears to be coming back to our country,” the former Prime Minister told the press.
“We are here and we will stand with Matiang’i and anybody else to ensure that the law of this country is respected,” he stated. “If Matiang’i has committed a crime that warrants his arrest that should be made public and known to him This idea of arresting senior citizens at this hour of the night is unacceptable,” Odinga added.
