Standard Media Group Responds After Arrest Of Laban Cliff Onserio

Standard Media Group (SMG) has issued a statement after its Chief of Staff Laban Cliff Onserio was arrested on Sunday, December 18 for being in possession of an explosive.

In the statement dated Monday, December 19, the media house based along Mombasa Road had acknowledged receiving information related to his arrest after he was discovered with the explosive, a grenade, at the Holy Family Basilica parking lot.

It added that it is awaiting the results of the investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and will abide by the due process of the law.

"The Standard Group PLC (“the Company”) has received information about the arrest of Mr Laban Cliff Onserio, the Company’s Chief of Staff and Anchor. According to court documents filed in court, Mr Onserio was arrested in Nairobi CBD on Sunday, December 18, 2022, by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, following an incident.

"The police have sought to hold Mr Onserio in their custody pending further investigations. The Company await the outcome of the investigation and will stand by the due process of the law. The Company remains committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all its stakeholders in all its premises. The Company awaits the outcome of the investigations and will abide by the due process of the law," the statement by SMG read.

In an affidavit by PC Vincent Mutai, the police alleged that he was found with the grenade in his car and he was alleged to have used the device to threaten members of the public with an imminent attack.

“The respondent is a journalist and owner of motor vehicle registration number KDE was arrested yesterday at the Holy family basilica basement following an incident and was in possession of a flash-bang training system model 7290T. He threatened the public while holding the said grenade,” read court papers seen by Viral Tea.

He was arrested by a multi-agency team who responded to the scene after receiving information of a terror threat at the church, which is a few metres away from government buildings such as City Hall, Parliament and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

Mutai explained that Onserio could not give satisfactory reasons why he was in possession of the flash-bang grenade neither did he produce a certificate allowing him to be in possession of the said explosive device.

Police suspected that he is in possession of more flash-bang grenades which the investigating team requires more time to obtain search warrants to recover. 

“Investigations have revealed that Onserio acquired illegally the device from a British national,” Mutai claimed, adding that the foreigner works with a local airline company.

The cathedral runs a commercial parking facility that is manned by a private security company on a 24-hour basis. The premises' guards revealed that Onserio had parked his car at the facility to attend the Solfest Music Festival at the KICC and only came to pick it up on Sunday morning while visibly drunk.