Detectives have this Wednesday evening stormed into the home of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i in Karen.
A multi-agency contingent in six vehicles arrived at the Karen home early evening after searching the home. The visit comes shortly after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said they have made significant progress in the ongoing investigations surrounding the alleged raid on the night of Wednesday, February 8th 2023.
In a press release by DCI boss Mohamed Amin, they were armed with a search order.
"This afternoon, our officers obtained a search order to obtain CCTV recordings from the home of the former Interior Cabinet Secretary to establish the facts surrounding the alleged raid. Upon completing our investigation, we will take action if any officers from any security agency were involved in any unauthorized activities, or if any false information was knowingly disseminated by anyone to the public," said Amin.
However, according to Matiang'i's lawyer Danstan Omari, who arrived shortly afterwards, the visit by the officers was illegal.
"We were with the police officers in court today. They were seeking orders to come and access the CCTV footage. We battled with them in court, they lost. The court denied them the orders... whatever they were seeking is ambiguous and unconstitutional. They were told to serve us and we come to court together on the 7th of March," said Omari.
The lawyer called out the actions of the detectives in Karen.
"The police sneaked in without anybody knowing. We were alerted that they have arrested the watchman. They broke the door. The main gate has been broken. They gained access, they have ransacked the CS's place upside down, and nobody was present. The CS was not present," said Omari.
Earlier on, Milimani Court magistrate Wandia Nyamu declined to issue orders compelling former Interior CS Fred Matiang'I to provide DCI with access to his Karen home CCTV footage.
She instead directed the DCI, which had filed the application, to serve the papers to Bob Morgan Security Services and appear before duty court on March 7, 2023.
In the application, the DCI swore that it was investigating an alleged robbery at the former powerful Cabinet secretary's Nairobi home.
In its application, the investigative agency stated that the allegation that the police had raided Matiangi's home was false.
"I am investigating a case of alleged attempted robbery contrary to section 297 of the Penal Code as per allegation in the public domain which has necessitated making of the subject application. I have been duly authorised by the applicant (DCI) to swear this affidavit," stated Chief Inspector Eunice Njue reads in part.
The Mohamed Amin-led directorate wants Bob Morgan Security Services, which protects Matingi's home to provide CCTV footage of the night the police were claimed to have attempted to arrest Matiang'i.
Lawyer Omari threatened take action over the latest incident at the former Cabinet Secretary's home.
"The DCI should produce the court order. When we came in, we asked them to give us the court order. Immediately we asked for it, they stopped what they were doing and ran away. If they had the court order, they would have continued with what they were doing. The fact that when the lawyers arrived they took off. I know the police officers by name. If access is denied, police go back to court to seek break-in order. Unless that order is produced, this is an illegal break-in, an illegal entry," said Omari.
