DCI denies summoning Gachagua as protest probe heats up

The police have denied reports that they summoned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua but have vowed to go after him should an ongoing investigation unearth evidence linking him to June 25 protest violence.

This follows numerous accusations from pro-government politicians and state officials attempting to pin the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader to financing and mobilisation efforts that went into organising the Wednesday uprising.

“It is not true that we have summoned Rigathi Gachagua. But, I would like to point out that he does not enjoy any immunity against prosecution. He is subject to the laws of the land,” said Mohammed Amin, Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

“If, in our investigations, he is found to have been involved in, perpetrated, aided or abetted any criminal activity, then appropriate action will be taken against him,” he added.

The DCI boss was speaking today, at the agency’s headquarters, when he gave an update on the investigations into the incidents of violence that were reported during the protests.

According to the DCI detectives, preliminary investigations have revealed that the peaceful protests were infiltrated by goons ferried from other places into the affected towns including Nairobi.

• .

  Keep Reading

• 
  Murkomen lacks the wisdom to manage Interior security docket
• 
  How the State manufactured consent to murder protestors
• 
  Where is Ndiang'ui? Blogger went missing after viral post on protests

The groups are believed to have been under instruction from unnamed quarters to, among other atrocities, loot and conduct arson attacks on public and private property.

“Preliminary investigations, including statements obtained from these arrested suspects, reveal a deliberate and well-funded plot to incite chaos, civil unrest, and widespread anarchy under the guise of public protest. Evidence indicates that individuals were strategically mobilized and transported particularly into Nairobi from various parts of the country,”  Amin revealed.

“We are actively pursuing the key planners, mobilizers, financiers, and facilitators behind this scheme, and they will be brought to justice,” he added. 

485 people were arrested in connection to the events. Out of this, 448 have already been arraigned while the remaining 37 cases are still under investigations.

“The charges range from murder, terrorism, rape, gang rape, arson, obstruction of police officers on duty, breaking and stealing, robbery, robbery with violence, stealing from locked motor vehicles, incitement to violence, handling stolen goods, malicious damage to property, and possession of illegal firearms,” Amin said.

Further, the police confirmed that even though some of the stolen police equipment including firearms had been recovered, others were still at large and have been used in recent robberies including reported cases in Naivasha.