By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
The Kenyan Veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho has been released from police custody hours after he was violently abducted on Wednesday 17th July 2024.
The National Police Service released him at Karen Police Station, saying that the arrest of the media personality was a case of mistaken identity.
According to Anita Gaitho the daughter of the Veteran journalist, his father was abducted, taken to Karen Police Station and forced into a different car by men not in uniform who claimed to be Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers but refused to introduce themselves.
“This is the car that abducted him. Look at that foolish driver wanting to knock us down when leaving. These criminals. They claim to be DCI, they had guns and handcuffs and refused to identify themselves,” Anita Gaitho said on X.
In the post, Ms. Gaitho shared some videos of a white Probox car and a Forester that came out of the police station speeding.
Anita said on X that the police confirmed that the abductors were their officers and further claimed that it was a mistaken identity.
“Over an hour later they’ve refused to take Macharia Gaitho‘s statement here in Karen Police Station. They’re insisting on us going to DCI headquarters. We’ve said no. They’re sending the DCIO from Langata police station to take the statement,” she wrote on X.
The National Police Service reported the case to be one of mistaken identity and that they did not plan to arrest the Journalist.
“Public clarification on the mistaken arrest of Macharia Gaitho,” NPS said on X.
“We reiterate that as a Service, we do not target journalists in any way, and today’s incident is highly regrettable,” NPS added to the statement on X.
The Service assured their commitment to working in collaboration with the media to discharge their as per the rule of law.
“The National Police Service remains committed to working with the media while discharging our mandate of promoting accountability and transparency,” the NPS added in a different post on X.