Former Cabinet Secretary and opposition politicians accused of stage-managing the arrest with the aim of causing fear.
The government has denied allegations that they sent police officers to raid the home of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi.
In a statement to journalists at Arabal in Baringo county, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki said he confirmed with the Police, EACC and KRA that no one from the agencies was sent to raid the Karen home of his predecessor, Fred Matiang’i, on Wednesday night.
“This allegation is utterly false. No police officer(s) or any security agent from any government institution or department was dispatched to the home of Dr. Matiang’i to arrest, harass or otherwise interfere with his constitutional rights in any manner whatsoever,” Said Kindiki echoing an earlier statement by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome.
In a another statement later in the day, the Director of Criminal Investigations Mr. Mohammed Amin accused the former Interior CS of stage-managing the alleged home invasion. The DCI boss said preliminary investigations had shown that Matiang’i conspired with politicians led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to stage the invasion.
Amin alleged that Raila’s communication team alerted newsrooms that the former CS’s house was surrounded by an elite squad of the police. He added that their investigations had revealed that the activities at Matiang’i’s home began at around 8pm Wednesday night when he told his guards that he was expecting guests, among them lawyers, at his home.
The lawyers went for a meeting upon arrival, and they were soon joined by ODM leader Raila Odinga and other politicians; the lawyers held a press conference moments later. “At around 9.30pm, Mr Odinga and the team left the home to go and join the lawyers in the press conference. Dr Matiang’i then informed the guards that police would be arriving accompanied by the media to arrest him and instructed them to grant the police access but to deny the media,” the DCI said.
“The DCI confirms this was a deliberate and malicious attempt to spread false information and incite fear and is nothing more than the highest form of fake news,” the statement added. The agency also warned to would take action against those spreading false information which threatens cohesion and national security.
