Jimi Wanjigi’s family narrate overnight ordeal at the hands of police
The overnight raid on businessman Jimi Wanjigi’s home in Nairobi’s posh Muthaiga estate was marked by more brutal physical assaults and destruction of property, the family has said.
Their ordeal at the mercy of armed police was worse than the previous time police raided their home.
Following the latest raid, Mr Wanjigi said through his lawyer that he would seek legal redress.
Mr Wanjigi, the leader of the Safina party, has been a consistent critic of the Kenya Kwanza regime.
Last night the police broke down the door, assaulted the family members and forced them to agree to a search of the house.
“We had no choice but to cooperate. They did a thorough search until about 4am. And we thought it was over,” said Mr Wanjigi’s son, Maina.
“Then at about 6 am, masked individuals came and dragged us out of bed, saying they wanted to search some more.”
The second search was carried out in the dark after the electricity was cut off, the family said, adding: “We don’t know why they wanted to do two different searches.”
On Thursday evening, the family’s lawyer, Willis Ochieng, said that when the police illegally entered the house, they forced the family to illegally consent to a search, “which they did not do, but the search was done anyway. Room by room, floor by floor, he explained, the police ransacked his client’s home.
“All they took were iPhones and iPads belonging to family members, walkie-talkies to communicate inside the house and a receipt for the purchase of fuel at [a local petrol station],” the lawyer said.
“This was inventoried and we all wrote it down and signed it after a long night of searching and everyone left.
Then, surprisingly, at 6 am, the Wanjigis were “woken up by marauding men jumping into their rooms, wearing balaclavas and carrying assault rifles, forcing them out of their rooms, pointing guns at them, tearing things up and down, claiming they were conducting a search”.
“How can the same police with whom we searched all night turn up at 6 in the morning to support a search without our participation, without our involvement?” he asked.
During the morning search, he said, the police took away valuables belonging to the Wanjigis. The police also illegally searched his car and took some of his files and money.
“It is quite unfortunate,” Mr Ochieng said, “What happened about the second team was nothing about a police operation. This was an armed robbery that was being committed against the family of Mr Wanjigi for his political belief and stance.”
If it were a police operation, he explained, nothing could have stopped the detectives from following the due process.
On the whereabouts of his client, Mr Ochieng said, Mr Wanjigi “is in safe custody of God the Father.”
Mr Wanjigi has not been seen since the police raid. On Thursday evening, the acting Inspector General (IG) of Police ordered him to surrender at any police station.
However, his lawyer said the criminal procedures provided the criterion for such summons.
“If the IG desires to summon Mr Wanjigi to any police station or any particular police officer, nothing stops him from signing a summon and bringing it here. We all know what the criminal procedure provides. There’s no special individual that is exempted from that criminal procedure.”
Jimi Wanjigi’s mother said it was unfortunate that this was happening to her son.
“I have known him very well since childhood. He has never been a criminal. He is a loving son, father and husband,” she said of her son. “We wish that everyone would open their eyes and see that he is innocent.”
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