Jimi Wanjigi, a prominent Kenyan politician and businessman, has recently come forward to address the swirling controversy surrounding his alleged possession of firearms and explosives.
This comes in the wake of raid on his Muthaiga residence by heavily armed police officers, which has raised eyebrows across the nation.
In an interview with Citizen TV, Wanjigi denied the accusations, stating,
“I do not have guns. I am not a militia and I’m not trying to overthrow the government of Kenya.”
He went on to elaborate on his perspective regarding the foundations of governmental power, explaining,
“There are two essential pillars of any government: guns and money- which a government cannot operate without. Those are the two pillars: a gun to protect people, to protect them, to protect money, and money to buy those guns. That is the essence of any government anywhere.”
The businessman-turned-politician suggested that his outspoken criticism of the government’s financial practices, particularly his vocal stance on public debt over the past two years, has made him a target.
Jimi Wanjigi Elaborates on Perceived Threats from Government
Wanjigi, who also leads the Safina Party, expressed concerns about his safety, stating,
“My family was saying that if these people catch you, they will kill you, they won’t kill us. They may threaten us, and take us in, but it would be too much for them to kill us. I absolutely think that the Ruto regime wants to kill me.”
The politician questioned the tactics employed in the recent raid, arguing that if the authorities had legitimate concerns, they could have pursued legal channels.
“Why come and say I have grenades? To say I have grenades is saying that I am waging a war using arms,” Wanjigi pointed out. He added, “I don’t think that it is my home, I think it is me that they seek because, on both times, it has been about me. If it is about the law, there are many ways you can arraign me in court.”
The Politician Recounts Raid
Wanjigi described a high-speed pursuit.
“There was a vicious car chase all the way to Muthaiga. We locked the gate and that’s when the siege began….But on two incidents they planted stuff, guns in the first incident and now they are saying there are grenades and smoke bombs, teargas canisters and God knows what else.”
Previous Order to Surrender
The acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli had previously called on former presidential candidate Jimi Wanjigi to surrender to the police.