Police Disclose Details Of DCI Raid On Office Linked To Ruto

The raid took place on Sunday, July 24 and saw the officers charging towards the ninth floor and wreaking havoc in their path

Police Disclose Details Of DCI Raid On Office Linked To Ruto
A collage of DP William Ruto in his office and his office at Transnational Plaza raided on Sunday, July 24, 2022. /VIRALTEAKE

Police have disclosed details regarding the raid of an office linked to Deputy President William Ruto located at Transnational Plaza in Nairobi by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The raid took place on Sunday, July 24 and saw the officers charging towards the ninth floor and wreaking havoc in their path, breaking down doors during the surprise operation.

Nairobi Regional Commissioner James Mugera had revealed that the raid was to ascertain reports that an election-related server was being held in the office following a tipoff.

DCI officers at DP Ruto's Transnational Plaza office on July 24, 2022. /FACEBOOK

"Two private servers were being moved… We are here to verify," Mugera told the press at the time.

However, police noted that the servers were being relocated to Thika, Kiambu County as the building was being renovated. The police turned to the owners of the servers who disclosed that they were hosting the mobile banking data belonging to 18 saccos.

"We found the information to be very sensitive and decided to come and establish what it is. We have since established that the owners of the servers were moving them to Thika because that place is being renovated.” 

“The owner is telling us he uses them to host 18 Sacco’s mobile banking data but this is information that will be verified by investigators. It’s not a criminal offence to move servers but we act on any tip we receive. We came to establish what it is that they do. If we’re satisfied, fine, but for now it’s a matter under investigation," he said, though steering clear of mentioning whether the office had any links to DP Ruto.

During the raid, the officers also stormed into another office in the CBD and seized more computers. A report by the Nation revealed that some of the occupants of the Transnational Plaza building had begun relocating from the premises on Saturday night, July 23 with sources adding that the servers were being moved to a new head office.

According to the tip-off, the two private servers at the office held sensitive information with regard to the elections. 

The raid came amidst a tiff between the DCI and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that began when three Venezuelans were arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)  in possession of election materials.

While the IEBC blamed the DCI over the matter which it alleged had hampered its preparation process ahead of the August 9 general elections, DCI hit back by saying that the individuals who were busted smuggling the private materials into Kenyan territory, were not hired by the commission and were in the country on private matters.

“The officers were shocked how a foreigner all the way from Venezuela contracted for a very sensitive and high-level service supposedly by IEBC had nobody waiting for him and in particular to receive the sensitive confidential materials. 

"We find the Chairperson. Mr Wafula Chebukati to be insincere and dishonest by declaring people who have been disowned by his own staff as IEBC personnel. Chebukati's statement, was well choreographed, planned and strategically crafted to raise an alarm by sensationalizing a false statement to sway the masses who are the public to believe that the police arbitrarily arrested and harassed IEBC personnel," DCI raged in a lengthy statement in part.

DP Ruto then went on the explosive offensive against DCI boss George Kinoti after his actions were viewed to have angered the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, George Kinoti. /FILE

He then urged him to leave the IEBC alone to prepare for the polls, exposing his failures to the public during his tenure.

"George Kinoti should stop stupidity. There is nothing he has done for Kenya, he is just focusing on political cases.

"Mr Kinoti save your time, stop writing to us long letters and leave matters of elections to IEBC. You have failed as DCI, we don't want you to fail our elections," DP Ruto responded.