Wanjigi Arrested Over Claims of Illegal Possession of Six Firearms 

Businessman Jimi Wanjigi was Monday arrested and detained at Kamukunji police station over claims of illegal possession of firearms. 

Police said he will be prosecuted Tuesday August 20. He was to spend the night at Kamukunji Police cells.

Police sources explained his arrest follows confirmation from the Firearms Licensing Board that confirmed the six rifles found in his house were not licensed.

Police said the arrest had nothing to do with earlier probe on the Nane Nane protests.

“It is not the Nane Nane or the tear gas canister issue. It’s about illegal possession of firearms,” added the officer.

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.

Wanjigi had Monday presented himself before police for grilling over claims of sponsoring Nane Nane protests.

The detectives were also to question him over claims of possession of teargas canisters at his Muthaiga home, Nairobi.

He has denied the claims and termed them politically motivated.

It was then they introduced the firearms saga.

Police summoned Wanjigi to appear before them on August 19 at Nairobi Area DCI offices for grilling.

This is after they had on August 8 tried to arrest him at his house in vain.

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.

A team of police broke into his house on August 9 and harassed his family while looking for him. It was then they found the weapons.

Wanjigi later moved to court where he obtained an order stopping his arrest.

The court on August 16 extended the orders stopping the police from arresting him.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye extended the order to September 19 but at the same time said he could not issue an order stopping any registration of a charge sheet against Wanjigi.

The Judge said the application filed by Wanjigi only touched on issues of arrest and not prosecution.

The matter will be mentioned on September 19.

Mwamuye said in the event Wanjigi could have been arrested or detained as the application was pending hearing in court, the officers should immediately set him free.

Wanjigi filed a suit in court and denied owning a vehicle where police said they found tear gas canisters and other communication gadgets.

The four-wheel drive black car was found abandoned at the entrance of Wanjigi’s house in Muthaiga, Nairobi.

This was minutes before police announced they were looking for Wanjigi over the Nane Nane demonstrations in Nairobi.

Wanjigi said he is being framed in a bid to settle political scores.

Acting Inspector General of police Gilbert Masengeli had claimed they discovered four teargas canisters, two motorola gadgets, seven assorted chargers for the pocket phone and one mobile phone in a vehicle parked at Wanjigi’s gate.