Politics

21 February 2023

• While terming the alleged incident as unfortunate, the CS said he would never seek to use his office to frustrate former state officers.

• "I sought assurances that we are not taking one step forward and two steps backwards because it's primitive to raid people for nothing," he said.

Kithure Kindiki, Interior CS has reiterated that he was not aware of any raid at former CS Fred Matiang'i's Karen home.

While terming the alleged incident as unfortunate, the CS said he would never seek to use his office to frustrate former state officers.

While speaking to NTV on Monday night, Kindiki said it's not the government's plan to use security apparatus to punish people simply because they are not in the office, saying at some point, those currently in power will also leave office.

"So, I'm careful not to use my time to try and hurt people, demean people or treat people unfairly because I will also be a former minister at some point.

"People who serve the country in different capacities need to be given time when they leave the office to lead their lives and feel safe because today I'm the minister tomorrow there will be another Kenyan will be occupying the position I'm occupying today," Kindiki said.

The CS said he reached out to all the police command to establish whether any such raid had been ordered at the home of his predecessor but the response was negative.

He said other law enforcement agencies like the EACC and KRA also confirmed that they had not visited the home of the former CS on February 8 as alleged.

"I sought assurances that we are not taking one step forward and two steps back because it's primitive to raid people for nothing," he said.

"They were even ready to swear affidavits in court that they had not deployed any officer. Maybe the politicians and members of the Press who were making the press could have been misled," he added.

On the night of Wednesday, February 8, reports emerged that a contingent of officers from the DCI special unit had been deployed to arrest Matiang'i at his Karen home.

Lawyer Danstan Omari briefed the Press outside the residence saying the officers were after the former CS over an alleged link to the Ruaraka land saga.

ODM leader Raila Odinga also arrived at the home that night and condemned the 'raid.'

The police and other law enforcement agencies, however, denied ever having set foot at the home of the material day.

"Maybe the former minister was apprehensive and thought that police officers were looking for him," Kindiki said.

He, however, confirmed that the DCI is probing the matter seeing that criminals may take advantage of and harass someone who is no longer in office.