Thursday February 9, 2023
The head of Kenya police service has disowned a reported operation on the home of former interior minister Fred Matiang’i in Nairobi on Wednesday night.
Inspector General Japhet Koome told journalists that no officers under the National Police Service were sent to the former minister’s residence.
The ex-minister’s lawyer had on Wednesday said that Mr Matiang’i was holed up in his home and accused the government of trying to falsely accuse and frame his client.
“The police have not declared what they want or what he's done wrong. We do not understand why the police would come to arrest our client in the dead of the night,” lawyer Sam Nyaberi told journalists.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga and a host of politicians arrived at the home for a night vigil following the incident.
He said police had surrounded Mr Matiangi’s home and criticised what he described as “the return of midnight arrests without charges”.
The police officers were said to have left after dozens of lawyers arrived at the residence. The police had not commented on the matter.