Safina party leader Jimi Wanjigi was has been arrested after he honoured a summons and presented himself before the detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The detectives said he was being investigated over illegal possession of six firearms, and that the arrest followed confirmation from the Firearms Licensing Board (FLB) that the six rifles found in his house were not licenced.
“The chairman of the Licensing Board advised us to take a legal action against him over the illegal possession of the firearms and that is why he is being detained,” said a senior detective.
The DCI detectives had summoned Wanjigi to appear before them on August 19 at Nairobi Area DCI offices for grilling after an earlier attempt on August 8 to arrest him failed.
Wanjigi who was accompanied by his legal team arrived at Nairobi Area at about 2 pm before he was ushered in for the grilling sessions. There was a brief drama at the gates of the police station when police stopped him from talking to the media ordering him to get into the offices immediately, but Wanjigi stood his ground saying he will not be harassed and told the officers to have respect for him.
On August 9, a team of police broke into his house and harassed his family while looking for him. It was then they found the weapons.
Though it was initially said that the arrest was linked to the Nane Nane protests and the alleged recovery of teargas canisters at his Muthaiga home, police have maintained that it was not. At around 4.20 pm, Wanjigi posted on his X account saying police were detaining him.
“The DCI have illegally arrested me despite numerous court orders barring the same arrest,” he said, adding that the arrest was politically motivated.
The DCI detectives had summoned Wanjigi to appear before them on August 19 at Nairobi Area DCI offices for grilling after an earlier attempt on August 8 to arrest him failed.
