'I will not be intimidated!' Governor Simba Arati says after police raid his office

Barely a day after recording a statement at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) citing a police-conspired plot to plant guns in his residences, Kisii Governor Simba Arati now claims that five men in blue broke into his Nairobi office.

Arati, in a press address on Tuesday evening, disclosed that the security guard manning his office alerted him about the unwanted guests who claimed to have been patrolling the area.

The Kisii County boss went ahead to state that when he arrived at the premises, after attending a Council of Governors (CoG) meeting, the officers were allegedly already in his office.

"I was at the CoG meeting where we were discussing the issue of healthcare workers strike. My guard informed me that there were five police officers who had come to my office. They had an altercation with my watchman and they threatened to break into my office," said Arati.

"When I came, I found them already inside. I came with my lawyer James Orengo. I asked them why they were in my office and they said they were just coming to check the compound."

The Governor further accused his political detractors of using law enforcement agencies to intimidate him.

"Of course it is intimidation. I want to say I will not be intimidate or scared. Do you walk into any compound in Nairobi and force yourself as they claim they were just on patrol?" he posed.

"If you feel that I have done something wrong, call me to your offices. I have had this office since 2018 and police have never ‘patrolled’ inside the premises. I have never heard about such."

On Monday, Orengo stated that they had submitted an audio recording to the DCI capturing a Kisii County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) allegedly speaking of a plot to plant guns at Arati’s home.

"We have given a copy of that clip to the police where a CCIO in Kisii is recorded giving instructions and insights into how guns, firearms and other things are going to be planted on governor Arati,” said Orengo.

“Partly this is to make sure that Governor Arati is not given the space to undertake his duties as Governor of Kisii.”