Jimi Wanjigi Says DCI Have Arrested Him
Wanjigi had earlier on Monday, August 19 arrived at Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters for grilling over alleged funding of the Gen Z-led anti-government protests that impacted the whole country.
Marvin Chege 
Businessman and Safina Party leader, Jimi Wanjigi has announced that he has been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Wanjigi had earlier on Monday, August 19 arrived at Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters for grilling over alleged funding of the Gen Z-led anti-government protests that impacted the whole country.
A video that went viral showed him confronting police officers after arriving at DCI headquarters, as he was ordered to board a car which he had refused to enter but agreed eventually. He was heard sharply shouting "Do not order me, do not touch me."
Businessman and politician Jimi Wanjigi clashes with police officers as he arrived at Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters for grilling.#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/GKTpFuDzDb — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) August 19, 2024
He took to X to reveal that DCI had arrested him illegally, referring to conservatory orders by the High Court barring police from arresting him.
"The DCI have illegally arrested me despite numerous court orders barring the same arrest," the businessman shared.
Police had indicated that they had arrested him over claims of illegal possession of firearms, further noting that his arrest followed confirmation from the Firearms Licensing Board that the six rifles found in his house were not licensed.
“The chairman licensing board advised us to take legal action against him over the illegal possession of the firearms and that is why he is being detained,” a senior officer stated, however clarifying that “It’s a new matter and not the Nane Nane or the tear gas canister issue."
Wanjigi has since been detained at the Kamukunji police station and will be prosecuted on Tuesday, August 20.
The outspoken politician drew nationwide attention after police raided his home in Muthaiga on August 8, with authorities accusing him of funding the recent Nane Nane protests, amidst calls by Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to him to surrender himself to any police station.
The acting police boss revealed that the police wanted Wanjigi to record a statement after several items linked to criminals believed to have infiltrated the Nane Nane protests were recovered from his car.
He noted that the raid witnessed at Wanjigi’s home came after police during an operation intercepted a vehicle linked to the businessman, outside his home in Muthaiga.
"In the vehicle, we recovered four teargas canisters, two Motorola gadgets, seven assorted chargers for the pocket phones and one mobile phone. There is one arrest that has happened," he noted.
Wanjigi, in disagreement, claimed that police teargassed him and pursued him to his home on 44 Muthaiga Road, and thereafter attempted to enter his residence to arrest him forcefully.
In a TV interview, Wanjigi clarified that the recent raid where armed officers kept his house under siege for more than two days was not about discovering any alleged weapons in his house but only arresting him, adding that if the government really wanted to apprehend him, it should have issued an arrest warrant or utilised legal channels to arrest suspects instead of raiding his house in a manner akin to hunting a wanted terrorist.
