Besieged businessman Jimi Wanjigi has protested against summons by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) terming them as state intimidation.
The DCI on Monday ordered Wanjigi to surrender 11 firearms and 485 rounds of ammunition allegedly being held illegally. He was given 72 hours to do so or be arrested.
Speaking to members of the press at his Kwacha Offices in Nairobi on Tuesday, Wanjigi claimed the ODM party, on whose ticket he intends to view for the presidency, with the help of President Uhuru Kenyatta were using the DCI to frustrate his bid for the top seat.
He said President Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga, who is also eyeing the presidency, are using the police to intimidate and harass him ahead of the ODM National Delegates Conference (NDC) set for Friday and Saturday this week.
Read Also: Wanjigi Given 72 Hours To Surrender 11 Firearms In Fresh Tussle With DCI
“Mr Odinga is in cohort with President Kenyatta and they want to stop my presidential bid by whatever means,” said Wanjigi.
The tycoon said he won’t be cowed.
Wanjigi said the Orange party has already expunged his name from the list of delegates, but that won’t stop him from fighting for equality in the outfit.
Apparently, the name was deleted in December last year after he declared his bid for the presidency.
Read Also: DCI Boss Kinoti Accuses Wanjigi Of Harassment As He Appeals Guns Case
Wanjigi claims a number of ODM branch officials allied to him have also been barred from attending the party NDC.
While accusing Odinga of betrayal, Wanjigi insisted that he will attend the meeting if it goes on as scheduled.
“What they are doing to me now is what Raila Odinga and I went through when they raided my home at Muthaiga 44 in 2017. It’s strange that Raila and his new cohort who are now partially in government are using the same tactics. Really, if ODM has learnt the bad manners using investigative agencies to silence reason as he is doing now what will happen should he ascend to power?” he posed.
“My only request to my beloved party is open the space for democracy. Open the door!”
He asked the party to postpone the forthcoming NDC to pave way for a more inclusive nomination process.
Read Also: Relief for DCI Kinoti As Appellate Court Suspends Warrant of Arrest
Illegal guns
DCI said the 11 firearms in question were discovered at Wanjigi’s Kwacha Offices during a recent operation by detectives investigating the businessman over land fraud.
“On the 17th January 2022, while officers of this Directorate were conducting Investigations into a Land matter and in which you were a person of interest, they encountered an illegally armed person within the compound of Kwacha Group of Companies where you were holed up. The said person disclosed that you had armed him as a bodyguard,” read summons by investigating officer Kuria Obadiah.
“It was later established that the said person is one Josephat Onyiego Mogendi, an Ex-GSU Officer previously attached to the elite RECCE Company. The establishment of the fact that the Officer is an ex is an indication of a high-level scheme that you have congregated highly trained persons in the use of firearms for ulterior motives.”
Read Also: DCI Boss Kinoti Accuses Wanjigi Of Harassment As He Appeals Guns Case
The George Kinoti-led directorate said the unlicensed guns pose a risk to the general public during the electioneering period.
“The illegal holding of Firearms and such massive amount of Ammunition particularly at this time of heightened political activity could be used to commit a myriad of offences including but not limited to maiming and or killing of innocent persons or opponents.”
Wanjigi has been embroiled in a protracted legal tussle with the DCI over six other guns confiscated by the government in 2017.
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