Chaos erupts after EACC officers raid Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria's home

Mayhem broke out at Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria's home yesterday after a group of boda boda riders and supporters reportedly fought off anti-graft officers who had raided the residence.

During the operation, Iria's supporters and boda boda operators allegedly stormed his home in Gatanga and roughed up the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials before police arrived and calmed the situation.

There were reports that the rowdy riders had snatched some documents from the EACC team that refused to reveal what they were looking for in the governor's house.

Detectives had to be whisked away from the residence in police vehicles after the crowd that was chanting pro-Iria slogans stormed the governor's residence at about 10am and forced their way in, sources said.

Efforts by Gatanga Deputy County Commissioner Joel Cherop to calm the crowd fell on deaf ears.

One of the detectives, who spoke in confidence, accused the governor of inciting the public against them, endangering their lives.

"We had a search warrant and we searched the house but when we went to search the governor's cars, he became mad and said he could not allow it before making a call. Within no time the compound was full of people who took away the documents in our possession," said the detective, claiming that the youths who took the documents boarded a waiting car that sped off.

A manager with Delta security firm, which provides security to the governor's residence, said the detectives arrived at the home at 5am and ordered them to open the gates, failure to which they would force their way in. "We had to give in since it was evident the detectives who were brandishing guns meant business," said Peter Mungai.

But EACC Spokesperson Karichi Marimba said the raid was part of his team's investigations. "It is too early for us to disclose what we have found out but the raid was legal and we followed all the legal procedures. We will be releasing a comprehensive statement later," he said.

A detective revealed that complaints had been raised about an investment initiative started by the county government dubbed Shilling kwa Shilingi.

A similar raid was also conducted at the home of media consultant Jane Mbuthia of Top Image Consultancy who has dealings with the county government.

Sources said the detectives conducted a simultaneous search at the county government headquarters and his parents' home in Mugoiri, where they took documents and mobile phones, cash and ATM cards.

Mzee James King'au, Iria's father, said 15 detectives subjected his family to a five-hour search which ended shortly after 11.30 am.

Iria, who blamed his political rivals for the raid, dismissed claims by EACC officials that they were assaulted and recorded a statement with police claiming the detectives assaulted him.

Apart from confiscating Iria's mobile phone, the detectives were accused of taking away his wife and daughter's cell phones, title deeds, log books to his vehicles, academic certificates and credit cards.

Sources said his brother only identified as Lameck, was also picked by the detectives who led him to another search at his house in Ruai, Nairobi.