Night of long knives: Fred Matiang’i under police siege
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i gestures at Wilson Airport on November 25, 2019 after a helicopter he was flying in was forced to land in Eldoret due to bad weather. Last evening the former CS was said to be under siege at his Karen home.
What you need to know:
- Raila and Dr Matiang’i’s lawyers, led by Dunstan Omari, said police had showed up at the former minister’s residence without explaining the reason for the mission.
- The former CS has kept a low profile since the new government took over following last year’s presidential elections.
Former Interior minister Fred Matiang'i was a man under siege last night amid reports police were planning to raid his home in Karen, Nairobi.
The reason for the siege, however, was not immediately clear.
Initial reports suggested Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers were the ones after the former CS, but EACC chief executive Twalib Mbarak told Nation last night his team had nothing to do with the reported raid.
But ODM leader Raila Odinga and Dr Matiang’i’s lawyers, led by Dunstan Omari, said police had showed up at the former minister’s residence without explaining the reason for the mission.
A source at the scene told the Nation Dr Matiang’i had been informed about the impending raid.
“We think they had intentions to search the house, but they seem to have retreated when the lawyers and other people arrived.”
The officers did not access the former Cabinet minister’s house.
Mr Omari said they have received strict orders from former President Uhuru Kenyatta to head early to court to seek anticipatory bail for all former CSs.
The lawyers will escort Dr Matiang’i to the nearest police station to record his statement.
Mr Odinga, who rushed to Mr Matiang’i’s home on getting reports of the developments 10pm, criticised President William Ruto’s government, saying that was not the way to treat a “senior citizen” and former Interior minister.
“Police have surrounded the home of Matiang’i. We are now witnessing the return of midnight arrests without charges. If Matiang’i has committed any crime, he should be informed about it before arrest and taken to court,” Mr Odinga said outside the former minister’s home.
“Coming to arrest a senior citizen at this hour is wrong. This is completely unacceptable,” said the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition boss.
Mr Omari said their client was under siege at his home without knowledge of why he was being hounded.
“Our client is holed up in his own country,” Mr Omari said, adding that Dr Matiang’i had not been informed about possible reasons for his imminent arrest.
But another of his lawyers, Mr Sam Nyaberi, said they had been notified since 2pm that the police would be coming, but they were not told the purpose of the raid.
Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome did not respond to our inquiries last night.
Police spokeswoman Dr Resila Onyango said she would find out what was happening from the regional commander and get back with the information.
EACC chief executive Twalib Mbarak said: “We are not the ones. EACC is not in Dr Matiangi’s residence,” he told Nation last night.
The former CS was not available on phone last evening. However, a source told the Daily Nation that Mr Matiang’i and former Interior PS Karanja Kibicho have since leaving office been denied clearance to travel anywhere out of the country. The Nation could no independently verify these claims.
The former CS had kept a low profile since the new government took over following last year’s presidential elections.
He only showed up in public last week when he joined retired president Uhuru Kenyatta and his former cabinet colleagues to visit the home of former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to condole with his family following his death.
At the function, Dr Matiang’i was among the speakers who praised Prof Magoha, particularly for championing the roll out of the unique identifier for all students (Nemis) which he said was a project of the former president adding “no one should take credit for it.”
The former minister also regretted the “noise” coming from the new administration.
President Kenyatta, following concerns raised by former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka that the new government was victimising him, responded that that should not worry people. The former president, however, charged there were people who make noise but have nothing to show for it, and then there were those that worked silently but effectively.
These statements were interpreted as a response to the attacks by the Kenya Kwanza leaders who had been on a sustained campaign targeting him and his family as questions about unjustified tax waivers dominated public debate.
Additional reporting by Samwel Owino
