Revealed: Uhuru’s chilling threat that saved Matiang’i at DCI
Former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i and his former colleague Eugene Wamalwa arrive at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi on March 07, 2023 where he had been summoned for grilling over allegations of giving false information.
Some minutes before beleaguered former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i was released last Tuesday, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta had threatened to personally visit the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) offices, impeccable sources say.
Close associates of Mr Kenyatta told the Taifa Leo that while in Mombasa, he (Mr Kenyatta) received news that police had refused to allow Azimio la Umoja party leader Raila Odinga to access the DCI offices something that greatly annoyed him.
“It is true that retired President threatened to personally visit DCI offices to seek the release of Dr Matiang’i,” a senior Jubilee party official, who requested anonymity, told Nation.
Dr Matiang’i arrived at DCI’s main offices in Kiambu road, Nairobi at 9am but was released at 4pm.
When Mr Odinga arrived at the DCI headquarters in the afternoon, he was denied access.
Police officers at the gate claimed that he (Mr Odinga) had no right of entry into the offices adding that they were acting on “orders from above”.
In rebuttal, Mr Odinga argued that the DCI offices were a public entity and that every Kenyan had the right to access them.
It is believed that after Mr Kenyatta made a call to DCI and that is when Dr Matiang’i was released.
Security bosses pre-empted the embarrassment and awkwardness such a scene would have caused.
They also might have acted out of fear of commotion and possible violence if Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga would have pitched their tents at the premises.
Dr Matiang’i who served as a Cabinet Secretary for three dockets during Mr Kenyatta’s tenure was interrogated in the presence of his lawyer Danstan Omari, Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo and his counterpart from Mugirango West Stephen Mogaka.
Also present
Former Defence CS Justice Eugene Wamalwa and Kisii Senator Richard Onyoka were also present.
According to Mr Amollo, DCI officials interrogated Matiang’i for just 15 minutes before he was detained without a reason.
“Inside the interrogation room, Dr Matiang’i was advised by his lawyers to remain quiet as it is his constitutional right,” said Mr Mogaka.
He claims that DCI sleuths were under instructions from top leaders in the government regarding Dr Matiang’i’s fate.
Earlier on, there were reports that DCI officials had planned to arraign him in court with some top DCI detectives informing journalists not to leave Milimani Law Courts.
However, the journalists left after waiting for more than five hours.
His lawyers also claimed that there were plans by the DCI officials to arrest and detain Dr Matiang’i a move that would have been against the anticipatory bail the former minister had obtained.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, police were planning to charge Dr Matiang’i on grounds of spreading fake news of his home raid.
Police say that he went against the law after his claims of a police raid in his Karen home on February 8, 2023.
While he was being interrogated, Azimio supporters were outside the DCI buildings chanting, “No Matiang’I, no peace.”
Similar protests were reported in Kisii County where residents asked the government to free the former CS.
Dr Matiang’i was blamed for clipping Dr Ruto’s powers when the latter served as the country’s Deputy President.
Translated by Wangu Kanuri.
The story was first published in Taifa Leo.
