A team of police officers from an elite unit is reported to have laid a siege on the home of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i in the leafy suburbs of Karen in Nairobi.

This is according to Matiang’i’s lawyer Danstan Omari, who has accused the state of trying to stage a late-night arrest of the former CS, whom he says was holed up inside his house on Wednesday night.

An irked Omari asked the President William Ruto government and security agencies to be civil in handling such matters saying the former Interior CS should be handled with dignity.

“My client is holed up as if he is a fugitive in his own country; This is a former in charge of security. This is a former minister in charge of the police. This is a minister who has served the citizens of this country. Civility must be retained,” said Omari.


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“We can’t have a rogue government that comes at the midnight to arrest the former CS. If they want the former CS, we will provide him to where they want him.”

He warned the state against executing night arrests and detentions reminiscent of the late former President Daniel Arap Moi.

“The time when Baba (Raila Odinga) used to be arrested at night and be detained cannot be repeated anywhere,” he warned.

Raila, who rushed to Matiang’i’s Karen home, has criticized the Ruto government over the night raid and impending arrest terming the alleged action by the elite group offensive.


“And then he can even go and present himself to the police officer for interrogation and to record a statement,” said Raila.

He opined, “But this ideas of arresting senior citizens of this country at night is something that is completely repugnant to civilization; This is completely unacceptable in our society.”

The reason for the alleged impending arrest is unclear coming after months of a frosty relationship between Matiang'i, who was then President Uhuru Kenyatta's right hand man, and Ruto, who was then Uhuru's deputy and aggressor ahead of the 2022 presidential poll.

Dubbed Super CS, Matiang'i was always at loggerheads with Ruto, who openly attacked President Uhuru and his development agenda while touting himself as the best replacement, even as Uhuru backed Azimio la Umoja coalition party's Raila as his preferred successor.