Macharia Gaitho narrates his ordeal after abduction, vows to take legal action
Veteran Journalist Macharia Gaitho narrates his mistreatment at the hands of police officers following his abduction
Veteran Journalist Macharia Gaitho narrates his mistreatment at the hands of police officers following his abduction.
Veteran journalist and Nation Editor Machariah Gaitho on Wednesday narrated mistreatment at the hands of police officers who abducted him while he sought refuge at Karen Police Station.
Addressing the press at the station, Gaitho revealed that he was trailed from his home and upon reaching the station, he was bundled into a Toyota Probox and driven away before he was later released.
“I was sandwiched between two men in civilian clothes. I was handcuffed and I was assaulted. They were demanding to know why I was resisting arrest and I told them I was not resisting arrest, I was resisting criminals.
They had not identified themselves. They drove me down Lang’ata road up to the turn of Lang’ata South road where they stopped.
“They made a few calls I don’t know to who but I gathered they were talking to their superior. After some long conversations, they decided to turn back. We came with them while I was still handcuffed inside the car,” Gaitho remarked.
The journalist intimated that when they got near the Karen Police station, they asked for his ID card before he decided to hand it to them.
“They said, ‘you’re the Francis Macharia Gaitho?’ I said yes. One guy got out, made some phone calls, came back again and asked for my phone number. I refused to give it to him. After another long phone conversation, they came back and the guy at the back was asked to remove my handcuffs,” he explained.
Gaitho then disclosed that he was told by the men holding him that it was a case of mistaken identity and he was free to leave.
However, he asserted that he refused to go home and reported an attempted abduction at the Karen Police Station and was waiting to write a statement.
“Now, I am waiting to write a statement. They have been telling me to go to DCI Headquarters to report there but I said no, the incident happened here at the precincts of Karen Police Station.
“I received a call from the OCPD Lang’ata, she told me to go and talk to her there but I said no, if she wants to talk to me here. Now she has told me that they are sending someone from Lang’ata to come and take a statement from me. That Is what I am waiting for.”
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Gaitho told the press that he believed that his abduction was not a case of mistaken identity noting that his recent reports, published in the Daily Nation, that were critical of the state.
As a result, he confirmed that he would be demanding accountability for the police officers involved. to be held responsible.
“It is clear that all these things are connected that the police are operating outside the law to intimidate, arrest, and harass innocent people.
“We will be demanding proper accountability from all those who are responsible and who claim to be in charge of security in Kenya,” he stated.
Lawyer Danstan Omari, who was at the press briefing, confirmed that he will pursue legal action seeking interdiction of the police officers involved.
“I now have full instructions from all the stakeholders in the media industry to pursue this matter legally. First, the circular of the Director of Public Prosecutions rests the responsibility to investigate police abuse, and police behavior on IPOA,” stated Omari.
“From here, we shall record a complaint at IPOA… After that, we shall institute a suit to compel IPOA and the National Police Service Commission to interdict the police officers who are involved in the act that has been committed.”
Gaitho’s remarks come after police claime that the arrest of the journalist was a case of mistaken identity and they were looking for Francis Gaitho.
“The National Police Service would like to clarify to the public that this morning, we arrested journalist Macharia Gaitho in a case of mistaken identity, meant for the arrest of Francis Gaitho who is our subject of investigation. We reiterate that as a Service, we do not target journalists in any way, and today’s incident is highly regrettable,” read a statement by NPS.
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