NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18 – Businessman Jimi Wanjigi has been arrested after a day of drama at his Kwacha House offices in Nairobi’s Westlands area.
DCI boss George Kinoti confirmed Wanjigi’s arrest, saying detectives were executing a warrant issued by the court.
He said the arrest is linked to the fraudulent acquisition of land on General Mathenge Road where his Kwacha offices are located.
“It is true he is under arrest, and we are executing a warrant issued by the court,” Kinoti said.
Dozens of detectives were deployed to Wanjigi’s offices and home on Monday night, and spent the better part of Tuesday looking for him before they broke into the offices.
He was then driven out and taken to Kamukunji police station.
Earlier, Wanjigi said he had obtained a conservatory order barring his arrest but police say they have not been served.
While he insists the prime land worth hundreds of millions, belongs to him, detectives say investigations have shown that he obtained it fraudulently.
The arrest came a few hours after the High Court issued orders barring security agencies from arresting Wanjigi and his wife Nzisa over a forgery probe pending the hearing of a petition filed before the court.
In the petition certified as urgent, Justice Anthony Mrima gave orders restraining the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji from arresting or preferring any criminal charges against the couple.
“That pending the inter parties hearing of the notice of motion, a conservatory order be and is hereby issued restraining the 1st and 2nd respondent from instituting, arresting, preferring, registering and or continuing criminal charges against any off the petitioners in reference to the parcel of land,” read the High Court order issued on Tuesday.
The court allowed the applicants to serve Mutyambai, Haji and Kinoti who were listed as respondents with the petition, notice of motion and the court order within 3 days.
Earlier in the day Police were forced to lob teargas to disperse Wanjigi’s supporters who were protesting the raid at his office.
The supporters some of whom arrived in three buses demanded to be given access into the offices but were later dispersed from the area by police.
Wanjigi has been at the center of a land tussle after two businessmen claimed ownership of a one-acre piece of land on General Mathenge Road in Westlands.
Most recently he thrust into the limelight after obtaining a court order to have Kinoti sentenced for failing to honour a court order to return guns confiscated from his Muthaiga residence in the leadup to the 2017 General Elections.
Wanjigi, a former ally to both president Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga has linked his recent woes to his 2022 presidential bid and political “persecutions” saying it” has nothing to do with property”
“It is just lies about crimes we know nothing about…There is a bigger picture here and I am thinking it is about elections,” he said.
He added that he was slated to hold a delegates conference on Sunday and that he had already invited about 2000 people who are ODM delegates in his quest to get nomination for his presidential bid pitting him against Opposition chief Raila Odinga.
