- Sakaja is said to have walked into Gachomo’s office to deliver the letter.
- Gachomo, head of investigations at the DCI, clarified the senator was not under arrest.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY:
Police on Friday denied arresting Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja even as Deputy President William Ruto’s allies claim the legislator had been taken in by the DCI officers.
DCI officers said Sakaja had on Friday afternoon drove himself to the DCI headquarters, Kiambu Road, to hand in a protest letter to DCI boss George Kinoti.
Sakaja, according to the police, hanged around and sent out alerts that he had been arrested over alleged links to an ‘international organized criminal syndicate’.
John Gachomo, head of investigations at the DCI, told the Star that the senator was not under arrest.
Sakaja is said to have walked into Gachomo’s office where he delivered the letter.
“Not true and thanks for checking with us on this,” he said.
Sakaja had on Friday written to DCI boss George Kinoti seeking clarification on media reports that he is facing an imminent arrest over alleged links to an ‘international organized criminal syndicate’.
Several police sources from Mazingira House also denied assertions that the Nairobi UDA governor candidate was arrested claiming he was just playing politics.
According to DCI sleuths handling Sakaja’s case, the Senator went to the Kiambu Road headquarters to deliver a letter to the DCI boss.
Officials investigating the case said they do not need him for now.
“The probe is not at a stage we need him. If he is here, he is on his own volition not that we need him. I know the probe is not where we will need him,” said an officer aware of the ongoing probe.
The officer denied reports that Sakaja had been arrested, terming them propaganda.
“He could have sent a lawyer to bring the letter if he wanted. But because of the politics, you know more,” the officer added.
Sakaja has been facing a career-threatening petition on the validity of his Bachelor's of Science in Management degree from Team University in Uganda.
The case is currently before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Dispute Resolution Committee.
“Our instructions are therefore to formally ask that you kindly but urgently confirm in writing if indeed, the article is accurate in as the far as the words attributed to yourself are concerned,” Sakaja said through his lawyer Elias Mutuma.
It is this letter – according to our source- that the senator had taken to DCI headquarters.
However, Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen maintained that the UDA point man in Nairobi was arrested on orders from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to Murkomen, the arrest is part of Uhuru’s plan to influence the outcome of the IEBC tribunal hearing Sakaja’s degree case.
“President Kenyatta has ordered DCI to arrest Johnson Sakaja in the hope that it will help influence the case in the Court and IEBC Dispute Committee,” Murkomen posted on his verified Facebook account.
“Sakaja has a degree and is qualified to run for office under the Constitution and the law. Stop the sideshows.Let the people decide.”
Earlier, Sakaja had vowed not to be intimidated by arrest and persecution, warning the DCI against meddling in Nairobi politics.
“Our resolve remains firm. Bwana DCI Kinoti, I'm at my Riverside office, let me know if you'd like me to come over,” Sakaja said.
He added; “Your office will not install a project on the people of Nairobi. My qualifications are legit and the relevant institutions have refused to play along with your games. Let the people decide.”