Was The Story Of Matiangi’s Arrest Cooked And Stage-managed?

By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga

Worth Noting:

• So, could it turn out the story of the Matiangi’s ‘arrest’ was designed to lay the ground of heckling and booing President Ruto if he attends the burial?
• If this was their plan, I know the National Intelligence Service (NIS) had brought this matter to the attention of the President.
• As we know, Dr Ruto is a good fearing man and firmly believes in the virtues of building a peaceful and united Kenya. Perhaps, this explains why the President did not attend the burial. His message of condolences was read by ICT CS Eliud Owalo.
• The other day I listened to a video clip containing the comments attributed to the head of Matiangi legal team Danstan Omari.

When the media reported that the residence of the former Interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiangi had been raided and surrounded by dozens of police officers, the story drew immediate reactions.

The heads of the security agencies led by Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome, DCI boss Mohamed Amin and Interior CS Kithure Kindiki denied that the people said to have raided the home of Matiangi were police officers.

A post circulating in social media quoted the DCI as saying that the incident had been faked.

But on the other hand, a section of the leaders of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition led by Raila Odinga and lawyers insisted that ‘these were police officers and they had instructions from big office to arrest Matiangi.

They spoke outside the home of the former powerful minister where they had rushed after allegedly receiving the distress call.

As expected, Raila turned the heat on President William Ruto claiming that he is taking the country to the dark days of Moi/KANU dictatorship.

The opposition’s response was fast and in some quarters it was described as that of ‘lightening speed’.

This raised the question. Were they waiting somewhere to be called? It should be noted the ex-CS was Raila’s chief campaigner.

The timing was also bound to raise a couple of queries. First, the incident happened just four days before the burial of former Education CS George Magoha.

Secondly, at a time when former Prime Minister Raila had intensified his campaigns against President William Ruto.

A day before the burial, Raila had addressed a rally in Mavoko, Machakos County, during which he reiterated that Ruto never won the elections.

He stole our victory. We have a ‘dossier’ from a ‘whistle blower’ of how they rigged me out.

So as Azimio, we do not recognize him as the President of Kenya.

You voted for us because you believed in our leadership. We will ensure that you wish prevails, he fumed.

So, could it turn out the story of the Matiangi’s ‘arrest’ was designed to lay the ground of heckling and booing President Ruto if he attends the burial?

If this was their plan, I know the National Intelligence Service (NIS) had brought this matter to the attention of the President.

As we know, Dr Ruto is a good fearing man and firmly believes in the virtues of building a peaceful and united Kenya. Perhaps, this explains why the President did not attend the burial. His message of condolences was read by ICT CS Eliud Owalo.

The other day I listened to a video clip containing the comments attributed to the head of Matiangi legal team Danstan Omari.

He fell short of revealing that the incident had been faked.

Listen to this. There was nobody in the compound of ex-CS. We however believed the occupants of the vehicles parked on public road outside were police.

In so doing, he changed the story. The initial version was that the home of Matiangi had been raided and surrounded by tens of hundreds of police officers.

The IGP and DCI boss had asked them to release the video clips showing the images of the officers. We know they failed to do so. Could this be the reason for chickening out?

The vehicles are parked outside on a public road. Again, they were other people residing in this leafy and palatial estate in Karen.

So, how do you tell the people inside were police looking for former CS? Where is evidence? Did anyone talk with any of these ‘officers?’

In Initial reports, some of the Matiangi’s defenders had alleged that he was not at his residence. It is only his brother who was there.

However, Danstan changed the story and said he was holed up there.

He said the Ex-CS was aware that the police were looking for him hours before the ‘raid’. Again, how did he get this information?

Had he spoken with ex-CS. If yes, what did they discuss? Did he tell him police will go for him at night? If yes, why?

To me, Matiangi is a law-abiding Kenyan. If police wanted him, I’m sure he would cooperate. So I doubt the officers would lay a siege at night.

To Azimio, stop politicizing this matter. No one is above the law.

Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi