This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, a Nairobi court ordered the detention of Dennis Itumbi, the former Digital Director at State House, for five days as investigations into a letter alleging a plot to assassinate Deputy President William Ruto continued.
Itumbi, who had been camping at Dr. Ruto's office since he was edged out of State House, was one of the two suspects in the case. The second suspect, yet to be identified, reportedly worked at the office of the Deputy President.
During the court proceedings, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations sought to detain 256 members of a WhatsApp group where Itumbi shared the letter. The group reportedly included MPs, senators, and governors.
However, a photo taken inside the Muthaiga police station, where Itumbi was being held, has landed the station's Officer in Charge, Alphonse Kimengua, in trouble. The photo, taken by friends of Itumbi, shows Itumbi, his brother David, Citizen TV journalist Jacque Maribe, and politician Josiah Murigu inside the police station.
