Kithure Kindiki, the interior cabinet secretary, has commented on the recent police activities at Fred Matiang'i's home in Karen, Nairobi. On the evening of February 8, Matiang'i alleged that police officers raided, encircled, and roped off his home to apprehend him.

He went to court and requested a Ksh.200,000 anticipatory bail, alleging he was concerned that the government was violating his constitutional rights. The act prevented the police from arresting and holding him.

A multi-agency security team allegedly raided the property on February 15 when the former CS was not at home to check through the building's CCTV footage of the earlier incident.

In a Monday night appearance with NTV, CS Kindiki said that his officials had thoroughly explained the operation.
Kindiki claimed he had received confirmation that the search had been conducted constitutionally by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).


As the accused, the police also appeared in court and persuaded the judge to clear themselves of the accusations; they needed to look into the CCTV and other evidence to confirm the validity of the initial claim, he told the network.

"I was told it was done legally, and I know of no other access that police had to the former minister's private residence."
Kindiki grinned before responding, "We wouldn't want to politicize or personalize security problems and my objective is to make sure that every Kenyan feels comfortable when they meet a police officer," when asked if he had called Matiang'i since the raid.

  • "A nation of pettiness and witch hunts"
He continued by saying that Matiang'i should be treated with dignity like any other Kenyan because he was a former government official.

"Of course, as a former State officer who has served this nation alongside many other officers, my predecessor deserves to be treated with honour.

The Interior CS stated that he is not interested in politics of retaliation and added that he would not permit the use of the police force to harass former government officials.


We don't want to make our nation a place of witch hunts and pettiness, and we cannot use the security apparatus to punish people only because they are not in power. Therefore, this issue interests me, and I will stay focused until we find the truth. Every person in the office will eventually leave their position, he remarked.

Because I was a preacher in the past, I wouldn't strive to harm, denigrate, or mistreat others with the time I have in the office.

  • Denied access to CCTV footage
The Wednesday raid occurred despite a court failing to give the DCI permission to view the CCTV tape.

In a request dated February 10, the investigating agency asked the court to order Amsec Security Services, which is in charge of guarding Dr Matiangi's residence, to provide security video between 6 am on February 8 and 11 pm on February 9.

The magistrate mandated that the matter be mentioned again on March 7 but denied the requested directives.
No one, including the former CS, had lodged a report about the incident on February 8 at any police station, according to DCI director Mohamed Amin on Wednesday.


According to Amin, investigations revealed that a Subaru sedan journalist was seen entering Matiang'i's house during the supposed raid and belonged to a private businessman, not law enforcement.

He denied the raid's existence, calling it a "well-coordinated and intentional attempt to propagate false information and cause public anxiety," and promised to discipline any officers discovered to be responsible.