DCI wants CCTV footage of alleged police raid at Matiang'i home

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has filed an application seeking a court order to access CCTV footage of former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s residence in Karen, Nairobi.

This is in light of the police raid purported to have taken place on the former Interior CS’s home on the night of February 8.

Matiang’i claims that his home was raided, surrounded and cordoned off by police officers who were seeking to arrest him.

Through an application dated February 10, the investigative agency wants the court to direct the manager of Amsec Security Services, which mans Dr Matiangi’s home, to hand over security footage for the period between 6 AM, February 8 and 11 PM, February 9.

“That an order be and is hereby issued compelling the manager of Amsee Security Services Limited (the Respondent), in person or through a nominee, to extract and avail to the Applicant, through No. 235834 C.1 EUNICE NIUE, a police officer and an investigator attached to County DCI Headquarters Nairobi (Applicant), with the footages for the period between 6:00am on 8th February, 2023 and 11:00 on 9th February, 2023 captured by the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) installed and or controlled by the Respondent at the residence of lion. Dr Fred Matiang’i the former cabinet secretary of Interior and National Security,” DCI says.

Similarly, the DCI says that in the  morning of 9th February 2023 news circulated  regarding a purported raid at the residential LR No. 12302/9 within Karen Ngong view in Karen by unknown persons who were alleged to be police officers.

DCI further argues that the alleged raid was never sanctioned by the National police service and adding that the investigations seeks  to unmask the identities of those involved became necessary.

“THAT, preliminary established that the said residential Karen Ngong view within Karen is covered by CCTV cameras manned by the respondent and therefore there is need to retrieve the same for evidential purposes," reads court papers.

DCI further wants the manager directed to service its detectives with a certificate of production of electronic evidence of the CCTV footage.

According to the former CS, the police officers only retreated after the media and his lawyers arrived.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki has since come out to state that no police officers were sent to Matiang'i's home as claimed.

"Dr Matiang'i’s lawyers and some politicians who spoke from the scene alleged that the said persons were police officers sent to arrest the former Cabinet Secretary. This allegation is utterly false," said Kindiki in a statement on February 9.

"No police officer(s) or any security agent from any Government institution or department was dispatched to the home of Dr Matiang’i to arrest, harass or otherwise interfere with his Constitutional rights in any manner whatsoever."

DCI boss Mohamed Amin also noted that after conducting an independent probe to determine the authenticity of Matiang’i’s claims, they discovered that the incident was nothing more but a “well-coordinated and deliberate attempt to spread false information and incite public fear.”

The High Court has since granted Matiang'i a Ksh.200,000 anticipatory bail barring police from arresting and detaining him after the ex-CS moved to court claiming he is under imminent threat of arrest by the police and is justifiably apprehensive that his constitutional rights are being violated.