This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
On November 27, 2019, a dramatic scene unfolded at the Bomas of Kenya, where President Uhuru Kenyatta's team was launching the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Report. State House Secretary of Digital and Innovation Dennis Itumbi, a key aide to President Kenyatta in the past, was chased away from the VIP podium by Presidential guards.
Itumbi's favor among President Kenyatta's team appears to have faded as he has taken a more active role in Deputy President William Ruto's media team. The incident sparked a heated debate about his role in the Presidency and his loyalty to the President.
According to eyewitnesses, the Presidential guards were seen kicking out Itumbi from the Presidential podium, where he had been standing behind Ruto. In a rather humiliating incident, one of the guards went as far as to physically assist the blogger as he appeared to plead to pick something from the podium.
Itumbi is currently facing a criminal case in which he is accused of authoring a fake letter raising allegations of an attempt by senior government officials to assassinate the deputy president.
Itumbi later clarified that he was manhandled in a case of mistaken identity, claiming the presidential guards mistook him for his brother. He added that he was rescued shortly after by a colleague.
"I had a beautiful moment as I left Bomas a few moments ago...with the Deputy Escort Commander, State House who kept telling me, we know you are NOT Dennis Itumbi but his brother...Hahaa! Lucky for me, a colleague saved me..a few minutes later he (escort commander) was clearing the road for me," he said in a rejoinder.
