NAIROBI,Kenya, Jan, 18 – Hours after police officers clad in tactical gear raided businessman, cum-politician Jimmy Wanjigi’s private office domiciled at Kwacha House along General Mathenge Road in Nairobi, he has now been arrested.
Wanjigi according to police is said to have been holed up inside his office barring any attempts to arrest him.
The operation to arrest the businessman was led by detectives from the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU), Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) alongside others in a near 24 hour raid.
Initial attempts to penetrate through the establishment Monday evening proved futile with CCTV footage and Images showing a swarm of officers laying siege outside the gate.
Wanjigi first raised an alarm at around 9.30pm Monday, that armed men had attempted to forcefully make their way into his private offices without properly identifying themselves.
When the situation quickly escalated raising concerns over his safety, he is said to have retreated to a bunker within the private establishment.
Tuesday morning protesters descended at Kwacha house chanting pro Wanjigi slogans before anti-riot police were called in to disperse the crowd.
Wanjigi was this evening finally arrested after the tactical unit officers penetrated the offices and arrested him.
The businessman cum-politician is expected to be held at the Kamukunji police station before being arraigned Wednesday.
Why Was He Arrested?
A Warrant of Arrest was issued by the High Court Tuesday against him while his wife alongside six others were summoned to appear before the court over alleged fraud charges.
The suspects are facing a total of six counts, including conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery of deed plans, forgery of a grant, procuring the execution of a company by false pretence, uttering a false document with intent to defraud and obtaining money by false pretence.
“You are charged that on June 21st, 2018 at Nairobi City centre within Nairobi City centre jointly with intent to defraud obtained Ksh 56M from Kenroid Limited by falsely pretending that you in a position to sell IR.NO.658000 LR.1870/11/200 deed plan No.175145 measuring 0.3314 Ha registered to Auream Limited”read the charge sheet in sixth count.
State prosecutor James Gachoka requested for a warrant of arrest against him while detectives told senior principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi that Wanjigi and his wife evaded police arrest Monday before locking themselves inside their Kwacha House based office.
The other suspects are Himanshu Velji Dodhia alias Himanshu Velji Premchard Dodhia ,Kameez Noorani,Mohammed Hussein Noorani ,Mohamed Hussanali ,Kairu Augustine Thuo and John Nyanjua Njenga.
I Will Fight For The Truth – Wanjigi
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential aspirant during an interview with Citizen TV linked the Monday night raid at his office by police to politics.
Wanjigi said that his woes started, once again, after he declared his interest to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta whose second and final term is ending on August 9, 2022.
Wanjigi is seeking to run on an ODM ticket, but he has to battle it out with the party leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“Why are they uncomfortable with my candidature? he rhetorically asked.
“They wanted me,” Wanjigi said. “They said that they want me to go and record a statement at the DCI headquarters.”
Over the weekend, Wanjigi vowed to fight for “democracy” in ODM, remarks he said might have irked ‘some people.’
“I speak nothing but the truth. We shall continue speaking the truth,” he said.
He decried what he termed as continued disrespect of the 2010 constitution, which he said guarantees Kenyans their human rights.
Like him, he said tens of Kenyans have undergone untold suffering during the tenure of President Kenyatta.
A similar raid happened at his office and home in Muthaiga in 2017, during a search for alleged illegal firearms.
“I tend to think it has everything to do with what I said over the weekend,” he said.
“They very clearly tried this in 2017 and they failed and everything they tried in court was overturned.”
Wanjigi has dismissed Odinga’s candidature, saying he was rightly placed to start “an economic liberation.”
According to Wanjigi, the former Prime Minister has done his role in “the second liberation of this country” and should not retire.
“It is our time,” he has said in the past.
Over the weekend, he said Kenyans should be very worried if he is denied his rights in ODM saying “they will be advertising themselves to us, on what they will do in future.”
Wanjigi however has an onerous task since Odinga has received major state backing, including the support of at least 30 governors.
Polls have also placed Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto- who is running on a United Democratic Alliance part, as the most preferred candidate for president.
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