On Friday June 17, reports emerged that Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja had been arrested by detectives from the Director of Criminal Investigations.
The reports alleged that the youthful politician was picked up by sleuths at his Riverside office in Nairobi where he was holding a meeting with Kamba leaders.
Allegations of Sakaja’s arrest attracted a lot of criticism from allies of Deputy President William Ruto who accused DCI of playing politics.
However, Police in a statement on Friday, June 17, denied arresting the incumbent Nairobi senator saying Sakaja drove himself to the DCI headquarters but was turned away as there were no existing summons.
“Contrary to circulating reports alleging that Senator Sakaja has been arrested by police, the public is hereby informed such reporting is untrue,” police spokesperson Bruno Shioso said.
“The true position is that the Senator presented himself at DCI headquarters following earlier newspaper reports that he was wanted by police over the university degree matter being canvassed by courts and electoral mechanisms,” the statement read.
Earlier Sakaja, in a statement on his Facebook, had dared DCI boss George Kinoti to arrest him following reports that the detectives were pursuing him for alleged involvement in forgery.
“Bwana DCI Kinoti, I’m at my Riverside office, karibu,, or let me know if you’d like me to come over. Your office will not install a project on the people of Nairobi. My qualifications are legit and the relevant institutions have refused to play along with your games. Let the people decide,” Sakaja said in a Facebook post.
His remarks were in response to the DCI boss who had on Thursday, June 16, stated that the young politician was being investigated together with administrators at Team University in Uganda over his degree certificate.
Kinot in a report by the Daily Nation stated that Sakaja was being investigated over possible links to an international crime syndicate that has been forging documents.
“We will not surrender our capital to frauds. We will involve all international agencies in investigating and prosecuting anyone in academic fraud,” Kinoti said.
Sakaja has however defended his academic papers stating that the woes surrounding his academic certificate are politically instigated by his opponents.
“Your office will not install a project on the people of Nairobi. My qualifications are legit and the relevant institutions have refused to play along with your games. Let the people decide,” he said.
Sakaja faces a three-year jail term if a court finds that he forged his academic degree certificate and transcripts.
