Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga was Thursday grilled by detectives before being driven out of DCI headquarters.
He had been summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation for grilling over claims of illegal possession of two guns and 90 rolls of bhang, which he denies.
He arrived in the company of his lawyers led by Ndegwa Njiru, Eugene Wamalwa, Jeremiah Kioni, George Wajakoya, and Martha Karua among other Azimio leaders including former Murang’a governor Mwangi Wa Iriq.
And after a grilling session of about three hours, the detectives drove out with him at high speed announcing they were headed for court in Nanyuki.
They also said they were headed for Nakuru as others claimed they would present him in Kiambu.
Njiru went to Kiambu but did not find him amid protests of mistreatment.
Police had earlier clashed with Njenga’s supporters who had camped outside the DCI headquarters.
Anti-riot police arrived and used tear gas canisters to disperse them. At least four cars were damaged along Kiambu Road in the chaos that affected traffic flow.
Njenga presented himself at the Nakuru law courts Wednesday following reports police are looking for him.
The court ordered him to go see the police.
Nakuru police later ordered him to go to DCI headquarters in Nairobi on Thursday which he did.
He had obtained an anticipatory bail on Tuesday stopping police from arresting or detaining him over claims of possession of the two guns and 90 rolls of bhang.
And after driving with him around the city on Thursday the officers took him to Nairobi Area offices near Traffic and released him.
They told him to present himself in court on Monday, May 29.
DCI boss Mohamed Amin said they respected the court orders on the anticipatory bail.
“He is out on a bond and we respected that,” he said.
The leaders who had earlier addressed the media on the detention of Njenga condemned the police saying the Kenya Kwanza government is using police to settle political scores.
“This is a political war and police are being used to fight them and especially in Mt Kenya. We will not be intimidated,” said Kioni.
He said there are supremacy wars in the region and some politicians want to force Njenga to support them.
“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the weaponization of the Criminal Justice system and the misuse of the Police by the KK regime to settle political scores and intimidate Azimio leaders like Gaucho and Maina Njenga who were arrested & supporters tear-gassed today,” said Wamalwa.
Karua condemned the drama saying it was illegal.
“DCI is violating Maina Njenga’s right to legal representation and we fear they will prejudice his rights to a fair trial.
In these circumstances is his safety assured?” She asked.
Earlier, DCI officers were looking for him in relation to the recovery of two firearms and over 90 rolls of bhang at a home linked to him in Nakuru.
Njenga has cited bad politics in the latest police claims they found two firearms and over 90 rolls of bhang from one of his homes in Nakuru.
He said he has never owned a gun or used bhang in his life.
“This is politics. Police are lying and they should not be used in such games,” he said.
He added no one had contacted him over the claims.
“The president should not allow such issues in this era.
It’s politics and especially in our region,” he added on the phone.
Police said they were looking for Njenga in relation to claims of recovery of two firearms and over 90 rolls of bhang from one of his homes in Nakuru.
Detectives in Nakuru said Monday the recovery was made in Ngomongo village in Dundori ward when a raid was staged there on May 12.
Njenga was not present but police found eight workers therein aged between 37 and 54 and added they also found three rounds of 9mm blank ammunition hidden in one of the rooms.
One of the firearms recovered was a homemade pistol capable of firing while the other one was a Tokarev whose serial number had been defaced, police said.
On May 12, police also raided his homes in Nairobi and Nyahururu saying they were looking for him.
Njenga then linked the raid to a planned funeral of Dedan Kimathi’s wife, Field Marshal Mukami Kimathi on Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Njabini, Kinangop.
Njenga said the teams, which arrived simultaneously at 4 am at his Nakuru, Lavington, Karen, and Nyandarua homes, told workers they were looking for him.
He said on the phone the officers knocked on the homes and were let in before they picked up a number of workers who were at his Lavington home and Nakuru.
Njenga said the move was part of efforts to stop him from attending the funeral.
He attended the funeral in the company of Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
He was manhandled as he tried to access the main tent where the funeral attended by President William Ruto was taking place.
Raila mentioned him as among those who had accompanied him amid applause from the mourners.
He said the era of using police to harass those with opposite political views ended and urged President William Ruto to rein in those behind the development.
Njenga is not new to such police harassment because of his former tag to the Mungiki.
He says he stopped being a leader of the group. He has been arrested and charged several times as part of efforts to link him to the group.
Njenga believes the developments are part of a power struggle in the Mt Kenya region and that police are being used to harass him.
