Activist-cum chairman of Persons Living with Disabilities in Meru County, Mike Makarina has come out to accuse the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential hopeful Jimi Wanjigi of promising him millions if he hides crucial documents, that are in his possession, to ensure the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti is jailed.
Makarina says he is aware of the development of the case since 2018 and that he is also a friend of the two who was called upon to mediate the issue. He further claims that the two parties had agreed to settle the matter out of court and documents signed over the same. He says it is these documents that he has that Wanjigi wants to be hidden for Kinoti to be jailed.
Makarina alleges that Wanjigi was supposed to go to the Firearms Licencing Board (FLB) Bureau to collect his firearms, according to the documents.
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“The bureau cannot come from where it is to give you firearms in your house. You have to take it from their offices,” he said.
He says Wanjigi has promised him a bribe of Ksh5 million if the DCI boss is arrested and jailed in a case where he had been required to return Wanjigi’s firearms.
“He has promised to give me Ksh5 million and has already sent me Ksh150,000. The Ksh150,000 is for fuel to take the documents to him for Kinoti to be jailed,” Makarina claimed.
High Court judge Justice Antony Mrima on November 18, 2021, sentenced Kinoti to serve four months jail term at Kamiti Prison for disobeying a court order.
The sentence was after Kinoti defied a court order compelling him to return firearms confiscated from the businessman-cum politician.
Makarina further alleged that Wanjigi has already sent him Ksh150,000 for fuel that was to facilitate his movement to Wanjigi's residence to handover the crucial documents. And he has since shared with K24 Digital a screenshot of Mpesa message showing he received money from Wanjigi.
In a response to K24 Digital, Wanjigi rubbished Makarina’s claim insisting that he would not comment on court matters at the moment. “It’s total rubbish. Cannot comment on court matters,” he wrote.
He said he will be in court on Monday to present the documents and the recordings of him and Wanjigi.
“I will show the evidence of how much Wanjigi has sent and offered me so as not to give out these documents anywhere,” he said.
“I am a diplomat and that is why I have decided not to take the money. I cannot see my Meru brother suffer because he refused to take Wanjigi’s money. We have spoken with Jimi and I have all the recordings with me,” he added.
Makarina further claimed that Wanjigi revealed to him that he had spoken with the Attorney General Kihara Kariuki and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji whom he says are in support of the DCI’s ouster.
“He has said he has spoken with the Attorney General, the DPP and they have told him they are not with Kinoti because they do not want him because he does not want to work with them,” he alleged.
Kinoti was on Thursday sentenced to four months for disobeying court orders to return Wanjigi’s firearms.
On his part, Kinoti has insisted that the Firearms Licensing Board revoked Wanjigi’s license on January 31, 2018 and that the board is supposed to reinstate the license before he gets them back.
He further said he is not the one in possession of the arms and that he cannot give out what he does not have.
“Even if I’m jailed for 100 years, I will not give back the firearms to Wanjigi. The court should have reprimanded Wanjigi instead. There is no evidence that he appealed that the arms be reinstated. I’m ready to go to jail,” Kinoti said.
