Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been arrested by officers attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in Nairobi.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, his lawyer Ndegwa Njiru confirmed that the former Governor was going around his business along the Eastern Bypass when he was ambushed.
Waititu is currently being held at DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road in Nairobi in the company of his lawyer as well as former CS Eugene Wamalwa.
”My client has been arrested by officers from the DCI and we are currently at the DCI headquarters here in Nairobi,’’ Ndegwa told Kenyans.co.ke
Lawyer Ndengwa Njiru making submissions at the Supreme Court during the 2022 Presidential Petition on August 31, 2022.
Photo
Judiciary of Kenya
Waititu is acccused of having made alleged hate speech remarks during a past event in his native Kikuyu language in Kiambu County.
‘’They have informed us that they arrested him because of an utterance of hate speech that they alleged that he made in his native Kikuyu language,’’ Ndegwa added.
Ndegwa revealed that the apprehension by the detectives from the DCI was just a move meant to have the former Governor incriminate self in the allegations and directed his client to remain silent as the constitution provides.
He added that the arrest had nothing to do with the allegations maintaining that the officers were acting on ill motives meant to curtail the freedom of expression as enshrined in the law.
‘’I have instructed him to remain silent because the claims are not valid and it seems this is a move to curtail the freedom of expression for my client as enshrined in the constitution,’’
According to his legal team, the officers handling the matter insisted on having their client at their facility as they move to complete preliminary investigations.
Ndegwa added that they were following up the matter with the detectives to have their client released from custody.
”We have asked them to admit him on bail or bond and we are still here awaiting further directions,”
