This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
July 5, 2019, marked a significant day in the ongoing saga surrounding Deputy President William Ruto's alleged assassination plot. State House digital communications director Dennis Itumbi has come forward with claims of possessing audio and video recording material that suggests a meeting could have taken place at the La Mada hotel to discuss the possibility of assassinating Ruto.
According to an affidavit seen by the Star, Itumbi stated that he has evidence to support his claims, but he refused to disclose his sources, citing journalist ethics. He also alleged that upon his arrest, he was pressured to admit to authoring an alleged letter by a Cabinet Secretary and to posting it.
Itumbi's affidavit further revealed that he was told to make these admissions, but he refused, citing his constitutional right to remain silent. He requested to play the audio-video content in court in camera.
Itumbi opposed the application to detain him for five days at the Kamkunji police station, arguing that this was where hardcore criminals were stationed. However, Milimani court magistrate Zainab Abdul ordered him to be detained at Muthaiga police station.
Itumbi's refusal to hand over the material to the DCI is cited as the reason for the application to detain him. He appealed to the court to take care of his personal security, life, health, and well-being, stating that his life was at risk as long as he remained in the investigators' hands.
He also offered to keep his mobile phone for the 14 days requested for forensic analysis and to keep away from a WhatsApp group police claim he is the administrator of, without prejudice to his fundamental right of association. Itumbi requested to be kept under house arrest or detained at the State House police station or Muthaiga station or Gigiri police station or Kileleshwa station.
