This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
Dennis Itumbi Arrested, to Appear in Court Today ¶
On July 3, 2019, Dennis Itumbi, a prominent blogger, was arrested at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, while having lunch.
He was later taken to the DCI headquarters, where he was interrogated by 14 officers who accused him of being involved in a plot to kill Deputy President William Ruto.
According to reports, Itumbi was advised by his lawyer not to make any statements to the police, citing that they were only trying to gather information on why he was being targeted.
Itumbi's arrest comes after a letter surfaced on social media, allegedly written by a group of politicians, which claimed that there was a plot to kill Ruto.
The letter, which was first posted on Twitter and Facebook, sparked a wave of panic and led to the President, Uhuru Kenyatta, summoning top security officials, including the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, to investigate the matter.
As a result, several Cabinet Secretaries, including Peter Munya (Trade), Joe Mucheru (ICT), James Macharia (Health), and Sicily Kariuki (Health), were summoned to the DCI headquarters to record their statements, as they were allegedly involved in the plot.
However, none of them recorded any statements, citing that they were not involved in the plot and that Ruto was not a target.
Itumbi is set to appear in court today, July 14, 2019, after being detained at the Muthaiga Police Station.
His lawyer has requested more time to allow for further investigations to be conducted.
