The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has asked the three leading media houses to avail to them photographic evidence on a siege that allegedly took place at former Interior Cabinet Secretary’s house on Wednesday night.
There has been confusion about the alleged siege after the government denied sending police officers at the former powerful Minister’s home.
The High Court has since barred police from arresting Mating’i pending investigations into abuse of office allegations. Justice Kanyi Kimondo granted Matiang’i an anticipatory bail of Sh200,000.
“Pending the mention, and in the interest of justice, and, for reasons deposed in the affidavit of Fred Okeng’o Matiang’i, sworn on February 9, 2023, Matiang’i be and hereby admitted to anticipatory bail by way of a personal bond of Ksh200,000,” Judge Kimondo ruled on Thursday.
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MCK has since waded into the matter and asked Nation Media Group, Standard Media Group and Royal Media Services to furnish it with photographic evidence on the alleged siege.
“We request you to provide actual footage collected at the scene and the identity of editors/reporters who were sent there,” a letter by MCK to the three media houses says.
“The council is concerned by the refusal by the media to provide footage of the incident yet they were there,” said MCK.
The incident has since raised more questions than answers. For example, why was it not captured on any video, CCTV footage and still camera? Did the police arrive at the residence or were there plans to do so that had leaked before they swung into action? Why would the police or EACC intend to carry out a raid on a private residence without a court order?
However in his court papers, Matiangi claimed he had received credible information from some unnamed police officers that they were under instructions to arrest him with a view of charging him in court.
“I was informed that the scheme to have me arrested was formulated on January 30, 2023 at the sidelines of the 16th Annual General Meeting and Africa Prosecutors’ Association (APA) Conference held at Mombasa,” the former CS said in his affidavit. “True to their words, on the afternoon of February 8, 2023, my family home in Karen was raided, surrounded and cordoned off by police officers who were seeking to arrest me. The police officers barricaded the entry to my house and only retreated after the media and my advocates arrived.
