Wanjigi aides detained 7 days for alleged possession of hand grenades

A Nairobi court has allowed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to detain two aides of politician Jimi Wanjigi for a period of seven days to allow police to complete investigations after they were allegedly found with explosives.

Chief Magistrate Bernard Ochoi remanded Dancun Odhiambo and Calvin Odongo at the Central Police Station where Nairobi Central DCI is carrying out investigations.

The two men were arrested with four items suspected to be hand grenades in Muthaiga, Nairobi last Thursday.

Detective Constable Andrew Njagi of Nairobi Central DCI offices told the court that he is investigating a case of being in possession of explosives contrary to section 6 (1) as read with section 29 of the Explosives Act Cap115 laws of Kenya.

He had asked the court for orders to detain the two respondents for 14 days.

Ochoi said the allegations levelled against the two are serious and need to be thoroughly investigated.

The two were arrested while in possession of a black Toyota Prado registration number KDC 883R.

Evaded arrest

In an affidavit filed at the Milimani Law Courts, Njagi said the driver of the vehicle escaped from the police officers who had traced it from the Nairobi Central Business District. However, the two suspects were arrested in the vehicle.

“Upon the arrest of the respondents, a thorough search was conducted to the said and several items were recovered which included suspected four explosive hand grenades, black in colour, two pocket phones make Baofeng, seven pocket phone chargers, three mobile phones and a national identity card,” stated Njagi in the affidavit in part.

The detective said the two were escorted to the Central Police Station where they were booked in.

Njagi said he needed more time to subject the suspected explosives to the Bomb Disposal experts for analysis and submit the communication devices to the Communication Authority of Kenya to ascertain whether they are licensed and permitted to be used in Kenya.

He added that the respondents need to be interrogated by multi-agencies on the motive of the explosives due to the security danger they pose.

But the two respondents’ lawyer John Andati dismissed the application as unwarranted as all the investigations where the Otieno and Ondongo are required assist, can be concluded in two days.

Andati invited the court to consider that it is being asked to allow police to detain the two and deny them their freedom just to investigate phone chargers and consider the application unnecessary.

Lawyer Willis Otieno who is also representing the two later made an oral application for the court to review the orders.

Otieno said the acting Police IG has already announced through the press that the items belong to Wanjigi and the politician has also owned up and therefore, the two men should be released.

The ruling on whether the court should review its orders considering the new details that were made available today will be delivered Tuesday.