Veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho has rebutted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ claim that his recent forceful arrest was a case of mistaken identity.
The National Police Service (NPS) had stated their intended target was social media influencer Francis Gaitho, not Macharia.
However, Macharia Gaitho dismissed this explanation, highlighting significant differences between himself and the man they claimed to be searching for.
“That Francis Gaitho, they say they were looking for, is half my age. He doesn’t live where I do, and I believe they followed me from my home. He doesn’t drive the same car as me. They were clearly targeting me,” the journalist asserted.
Gaitho was addressing the media at Karen Police Station, where he sought to file a statement regarding what he described as an “attempted abduction.”
He questioned how the authorities could trace him to the point of abduction at the police station and still claim it was a case of mistaken identity.
Speaking to the press after his release, Gaitho recounted how he and his son drove to Karen Police Station seeking assistance, with two cars in pursuit following them into the station.
“They forced me into their car, a white Probox. I was sandwiched between two men in civilian clothes, handcuffed, and assaulted,” he recounted.
Gaitho said his abductors demanded to know why he was resisting arrest.
“I told them I wasn’t resisting arrest; I was resisting criminals,” he added, noting that they hadn’t identified themselves.
He described how they drove him down Lang’ata Road to Lang’ata South Road, where they stopped and made several phone calls.
“I heard them mention words like Alpha, Bravo, Sierra. I don’t know what those mean, but I heard them mention DCI headquarters,” Gaitho said.
After lengthy conversations, they decided to turn back.
“We returned with them, I was still handcuffed in the car. We stopped near the Shell petrol station, and they asked for my ID, which I gave them,” he said.
They then asked if he was Francis Macharia Gaitho, to which he replied yes.
The name Francis is new to many since the journalist is widely known as Macharia Gaitho, the name under which he publishes his stories.
“One guy stepped out, made some phone calls, came back, and asked for my phone numbers. I refused to give them. They had earlier asked for my phone, which I didn’t have because I left it with my son,” he said.
After another long conversation, his abductors returned to the vehicle.
The man next to him was instructed to remove his handcuffs, and they told him it was a case of mistaken identity and he was free to go.
“They didn’t explain how it was mistaken identity or how they followed me from my home,” he said.
“They brought me back to Karen Police Station and told me I could go home,” he added.
Gaitho reported the incident as a crime and is waiting to record a statement.
He mentioned that they had urged him to record his statement at DCI Headquarters, but he refused.
Gaitho believes the attempted abduction is related to his work and encouraged others who have experienced abduction to seek legal action.
“It’s extremely traumatizing. When I asked who they were, they told me they had a Subaru and guns, so I should know they were police officers,” he said.
He criticized the government for failing to uphold its promise of a state free from abductions.
