Raila Rushes to Matiang'i's Karen Home, Confronts Police

Raila
Azimio party leader Raila Odinga arrives for a rally at the Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi on Monday, January 23, 2023.
Raila Odinga

Orange Democratic Movement Party Leader Raila Odinga, on Wednesday, February 8, denounced the police raid on former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i's home.

Shortly after arriving at Matiang'i's residence in Karen, the ODM chief criticized the move, terming it barbaric and a witchhunt. 

He questioned why the involved agencies waited to raid his residence at night instead of waiting to resolve their issue legally. 

Raila also vowed to join other leaders in a night vigil to ensure Matiang'i's security and that of his family.

Photo collage between former CS Fred Matiang'i and Joe Mucheru at State House and a golf course
Photo collage between former CS Fred Matiang'i and Joe Mucheru at State House and a golf course.
PSCU and Karen Golf Club

He continued his onslaught on the government, noting that the attack on the former CS was a testament to the illegitimacy of the government. 

"We are here and we will stand with Matiang’i and anybody else to ensure that the law of this country is respected," he stated. 

"If Matiang’i has committed a crime that warrants his arrest that should be made public and known to him This idea of arresting senior citizens at this hour of the night is unacceptable," Odinga added. 

According to the former Prime Minister, the motive behind Matiang'i's attempted arrest was unclear, as neither the police nor his legal team had concrete information. 

City lawyer Danstan Omari who was leading Matiani'is legal team noted that a battery of over 200 lawyers would be deployed to protect against any violation of his rights. 

They, too, vowed to stand in solidarity, choosing to brave the cold night as the officers drawn from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) surrounded the Karen residence. 

The Wednesday, February 8, raid at the former CS's home came two weeks after a group of former dignitaries who served in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's regime openly castigated  President William Ruto's administration.

In their first public gathering since Kenyatta's departure, the former dignitaries depicted the Kenya Kwanza administration as "petty" and described them as hell-bent on acts of vindication against them. 

The event at former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha's home would later be succeeded by the government restructuring the security of former President Uhuru and some of his prominent loyalists.

Matiang'i and former Principal Secretary Karanja Kibiccho saw their security officers reduced in what Police Inspector General Japhet Koome described as a rationing process within the police service. 

Notably, President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, had vowed to desist from using state machinery and the criminal justice system to settle political scores. 

Former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta (left) watches as retired President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) signs the late George Magoha's condolence book on Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta (left) watches as retired President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) signs the late George Magoha's condolence book on Tuesday, January 31, 2023
The Star
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