Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and blogger Dennis Itumbi poked holes into an alleged relationship formed between the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and the Daily Nation newspaper, with the two claiming that the agency was leaking case proceeds to the media house.
The duo's claims surfaced after former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga questioned the outlet wondering whether journalists had infringed the right to privacy in the paper's detailed investigative report of an alleged affair between the murder suspect (a woman) and a judge.
"Is the Daily Nation in breach of the right to privacy? Reporters also get intel from investigators raising the issue of the right to a fair trial," Mutunga stated, in response to the story which gave in-depth coverage of how the judge met the suspect in a hotel in what can be dubbed 'a secret relationship', out to interfere with court proceedings.
Murkomen on his end, claimed that the Daily Nation received first-hand information from the DCI in the newfound relationship.
"Nowadays all the intel and investigation reports from DCI are first given to Daily Nation. It’s the new modus operandi!" Murkomen stated.
Itumbi further weighed in on the debate arguing that the end result of the relationship would be catastrophic.
"It is unpopular, but I will say it again, there is a danger of the open flirting between the two- what Daily Nation calls their investigations is a cut and paste leak from investigators trying to shape public perception. Wrong!
"DCI sold catchy headlines, the Daily Nation offered its pages for investigators to tell endless tales, now in court, those stories are just too much sound, with too much fury that signifies nothing. Take time and check the status of the cases and compare with drama of arrests," Itumbi lamented.
He further urged Chief Justice David Maraga to investigate the issue while vouching for lawyer Nelson Havi to win the much anticipated Law Society of Kenya elections, lauding him for being a staunch supporter of the rule of law. Itumbi hopes Havi's victory would help solve the contentious issue.
"Maybe Maraga should publish a progress report to cover up the weak investigations by DCI. We are being told it is the judges who are in love as if that is a crime! I may not like Nelson Havi but maybe LSK needs his personality at the helm," Itumbi proposed.
"It is shocking that the director of public prosecutions Noordin Haji has not ordered an investigation on how evidence relating to a murder case was sold or bought by the Daily Nation," lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi wondered.
Among the top stories covered by Nation which involve the DCI detectives are the former CS Rashid Echesa' fake gun tender probe and the death of a police officer Deputy President William Ruto's office.
