High Court Issues Warrant Of Arrest Against DCI Boss Kinoti Over Wanjigi Gun Row

NAIROBI,Kenya, Dec, 15 – The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Boss George Kinoti is treading on thin ice after the High Court issued a warrant of arrest against him.

In the warrant of arrest signed by the deputy registrar of the High Court, the inspector general of police Hillary Mutyambai has been directed to facilitate the immediate arrest and presentation in court of Kinoti, after being deemed to be in contempt.

“Whereas Mr George Maingi Kinoti has this day been charged before this court for contempt of court order pursuant to an order issued by Hon. Justice Mwita on the 21st June 2019. Therefore you are hereby commanded to apprehend the said Mr. George Maingi Kinoti and to bring him before this court to answer to the said charge and to be further dealt with according to law,” read a section of the arrest warrant.

The Attorney General Kihara Kariuki had last month made an application at the High Court seeking a review on the ruling to have Kinoti serve a 4 month sentence at the Kamiti Maximum prison.

The ruling was issued after he was deemed to have failed to honour orders to return firearms to businessman Jimi Wanjigi after being confiscated from his house during a raid back in 2017.

The High Court through Justice Anthony Mrima dismissed the AG’s request.

In his argument Kariuki said that the firearms were not in the custody of the DCI but the Firearms Licensing Board.

But Justice Mrima ruled that the trial court’s judgment dealt with the issue concerning custody of the firearms and it had been found they were in the custody of the DCI. 

Also, he argued that some of the firearms in Wanjigi’s possession were not permitted to be in civilian custody.

It remains to be seen whether the DCI boss will be arrested and arraigned.