‘Ukienda kwa Matiang’i utalia, wamevunja kila mahali’- Raila explains to Kisii community ‘what happened at ex-CS’s home’
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, February 17, 2023
Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga has condemned a police raid staged at the home of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Wednesday, February 15 terming it as politically instigated.
Addressing a rally in Keroka, Nyamira county on Friday, Raila claimed that the police vandalised Matiang’i’s home in Karen during the raid conducted by a team of officers drawn from various units.
Raila said the officers accessed Matiang’i’s home without court orders, broke the gate and went ahead to ransack the house, causing massive destruction.
“Walienda kutafuta order Kiambu wakakatazwa. Wakarudi korti ya Nairobi mahakama ikasema kesi itasikizwa March 7, 2023. Lakini baada ya kutoka hapo wanaenda kwa Matiang’i bila order. Wamekuja na magari. Gari yao wanapeleka wanavunja mlango ya boma. Alafu wanaingia ndani ya nyumba wanavunja milango hapa na pale ati wanafanya msako wanatufa ushahidi CCTV,” Raila told the crowd.
“Kila mahali wameingia ukienda kwa nyumba ya Matiang’i utalia. Wamevunja hapa na hapa kuonyesha nguvu ya serikali. Wanatoa vitisho kali kali hawa watu.”
The police stormed the former minister’s home on Wednesday afternoon to retrieve CCTV footage from the residence as part of investigations into a raid purported to have taken place in the former Interior CS’s home on the night of February 9, which the authorities dismissed as a “well-coordinated and deliberate attempt to spread false information and incite public fear.”
While police deny that no officer was sent to raid the home on February 9, Raila insisted that the men in uniform were at the home of the former powerful minister.
“Kama wewe ulikuja unatafuta ushahidi gani si unajua ulikuja,” he added.
Raila accused President William Ruto’s administration of embarking on a mission to kill democracy and push for the establishment of a dictatorial regime in the country, warning the Head of State that he won’t succeed.
Taking issue with the distribution of top state jobs, the opposition chief accused Ruto of punishing the Kisii community over Matiang’i’s actions when he served as CS.
Raila said the Kenya Kwanza administration had sidelined the Kisii community in state appointments while rewarding other communities with tens of plum jobs.
The ODM leader is expected to address a rally at Kisii stadium later in the day alongside several Azimio co-principals as part of his public engagements with members of the public and resistance against Ruto’s administration.