DCI orders Jimi Wanjigi to surrender 10 firearms within 72 hours

Presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi addressing the press at a past briefing. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi has 72 hours to surrender 10 firearms and 485 rounds of ammunition to the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road.

An order by DCI officer Kuriah Obadiah requires Wanjigi to submit the firearms by Thursday, failure to which he will be placed under lawful custody.

Wanjigi is accused of being in possession of a CQ, 2 Ceskas, a pistol, shotgun, Glock 19, Ceska, 2 Glocks, rifle and a Gilboa. He has also been asked to explain the source of a Glock under the serial number URT 735.

"The criminal investigation has established that you hold 10 firearms of different makes and descriptions which act of possession is in contravention of the law," reads a part of the statement.

The DCI officer said Wanjigi had no certificate that authorised him to be in possession of such weapons. 

"The illegal holding of Firearms and such massive amount of ammunition particularly at this time of heightened political activity could be used to commit a myriad of offences including but not limited to maiming and or killing of innocent persons or opponents.

"The Directorate has a duty to detect, deter, disrupt and investigate, any intelligence or information either on a complaint or on its own volition," adds the statement.

Additionally, Kuriah reminded Wanjigi that Interior CS Fred Matiang'i gave a moratorium for mandatory vetting of Civilian Firearms Holders in December 2018.

"Since then, there has been no indication or evidence of you having attended the said Mandatory Vetting as required by the Cabinet Secretary," stated Kuriah.

He continued; "Further on the 26th November 2021, the Firearm Licensing Board required you to appear before it for vetting which requirement you have refused and or failed to heed."

Kuriah further stated that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations encountered an illegally-armed person within Kwacha Group of Companies when they had raided the property to investigate a land matter.

"The said person disclosed that you had armed him as your bodyguard. It was later established that the person is an ex-GSU officer previously attached to the elite recce company.

"The establishment of the fact that the officer is an ex-GSU is an indication of a high-level scheme that you have congregated highly trained persons in the use of firearms for ulterior motives."