Raila Odinga Visits Jimi Wanjigi’s House Hours After Police Raid
Key takeaways
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- Raila Odinga is the latest dignitary to visit Jimi Wanjigi’s residence at Muthaiga 44 in Nairobi.
- His visit follows those of several other politicians including his former presidential election running mate Martha Karua and former Defense Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa.
- Jimi Wanjigi is a big-time businessman and billionaire who has sharply criticized the Kenyan government over national debt management.
- Wanjigi’s house has been under intense police siege in recent hours, with the situation being closely monitored across Kenya.
- Police are hunting Wanjigi on the accusation of funding the #NaneNaneMarch protests that were staged on Thursday.
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Police’s dramatic pursuit of Jimi Wanjigi
According to reports, the violent confrontation between Wanjigi’s family and the police began when Wanjigi was spotted dishing money along Limuru Road in the leafy suburbs of Muthaiga.
Police allege that Jimi was moving around the area with a group of people distributing money, supposedly to fund the #NaneNane protests.
In separate pictures, Jimi was also spotted in Nairobi city center engaging youthful Kenyan protestors, popular as Gen Z.
Police initiated a high-speed pursuit of the businessman who drove off in a flash.
While his car remained in front of his gate police did not find him in his house. According to officers who conducted the high-speed chase, Jimi Wanjigi disappeared into Karura Forest.
Police officers occupy Jimi Wanjigi’s house
With his driver in custody, Police camped outside the palatial Muthaiga 44 residence seeking to enter and search the house.
Jimi’s family refused to comply with the officers who ordered them to open the house.
According to Wanjigi’s son Maina Wanjigi the police had no search warrant and had no right to enter the house.
Police however managed to break into the house, harassed his family, and searched the space.
“My mother and I were the only ones in the house with my grandmother. They forcefully kicked the door, my mother and I held our phones up. We told them don’t shoot, several times. We were kicked and hit,” Jimi Wanjigi’s daughter told the press.
Acting Inspector General (IG) of Police Mr. Gilbert Masengeli ordered Wanjigi to surrender himself to the nearest police station.
Jimi Wanjigi, however, has denied the accusations of funding protests, saying that the protests were organic. The top businessman also maintained that Gen Z had genuine demands.
Wanjigi has sued Acting IG Masengeli for what he described as a politically motivated invasion of his house by police.
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Police raids are not an unusual occurrence at the Wanjigi compound. In the aftermath of the 2017 elections, Jimi Wanjigi was also surrounded by police in his house for accusations of harboring illegal weapons. Raila Odinga was also present at the residence, seeking to protect his then-political ally against police harassment.
