This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
July 24, 2019
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is on the hunt for 256 members of a WhatsApp group that Dennis Itumbi shared an alleged assassination letter with, with Itumbi being an administrator of the group.
Itumbi was arraigned in court on Thursday, where the prosecution sought to have him detained at Kamukunji Police Station for 14 days, citing the ongoing investigation into the WhatsApp group.
However, Itumbi's defense team denied that he was one of the administrators of the group, stating that he was just a member.
“He is just a member…The group has members of parliament, senators and governors people of more significance than the accused,” his lawyers said.
Itumbi's lawyers also questioned why the DCI had not recorded statements from the 256 WhatsApp group members, despite investigating the matter since June 20.
Itumbi was arrested on Wednesday afternoon within the Nairobi city center by detectives from the Flying Squad.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, a member of the group, took to Twitter to express his frustration, asking how many people in the country had forwarded the document and whether all media houses that published it would be charged.
“So @OleItumbi was arrested for forwarding an alleged fake letter to a WhatsApp group dubbed “TangaTanga”? How many people in this country forwarded that document? Will all the media houses that published the document be charged?This is ridiculously moronic. — KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) July 4, 2019
