Wamatangi calls his arrest political intimidation as EACC releases him
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have released Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi after long hours of grilling over claims of corruption.
Wamatangi was on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, picked up from his home in Kiambu after the detectives raided his office and residence.
He was arrested around midday and was taken to the anti-graft agency’s headquarters at Integrity Centre, from where he was interrogated on alleged financial and procurement malpractices at Kiambu County Government.
Speaking after his release, Wamatangi termed his arrest as pure political intimidation.
Wamatangi on his arrest
He further claimed that his top-performing ministers are the ones that had been targeted by the EACC officers during the Tuesday morning raid.
“This is pure political intimidation. There is no reason why more than 50 police officers can wake up at my office and my home, and another almost 200 officers are deployed to various ministers’ offices in my government. The reason is only one, and they are targeting only my ministers who perform because they want to make my government a failure. It is the people of Kiambu who elect the governor, not the police,” Wamatangi said.
Wamatangi further claimed that someone had threatened him before and vowed to soil his name. According to him, people are afraid of his development recording, noting that he would not accept being intimidated.
“Somebody called me, a very senior officer, and told me that even if you are going to finish your governorship, you will be so dirty. We would have made you dirty enough. I am not afraid; I will not be cowed, and I will not be intimidated,” he said.
Following his release, Wamatangi walked along Kenyatta Avenue towards the Nairobi CBD in the company of his supporters, who had staged protests outside EACC headquarters.
The supporters could be heard in the videos that have been seen by K24 Dital, attributing his release to prayers.
“Sio uchawi, ni maombi,” the supporters chanted as they marched towards the Nairobi CBD.
EACC on Wamatangi’s arrest
EACC has clarified the raid that was conducted on the house and office of the Kiambu County Governor.
EACC, in a statement issued on Monday, April 15, 2025, said its officers had executed search warrants at the residences and offices of nine individuals as part of an ongoing investigation, with Wamatangi being among the nine.
“Today, Tuesday, 15th April 2025, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) executed search warrants at the residences and offices of nine individuals as part of an ongoing investigation. Among those targeted was Paul Kimani Njoroge, alias Wamatangi, the Governor of the Kiambu County Government,” the statement read.
EACC also said that its officers had recovered a total of Ksh 12 million and USD 13,000, all in cash, from the residence of Wamatangi.
The anti-graft body said the money that it has since seized is part of the evidentiary material to support ongoing investigations. The seized amount, EACC says, is suspected to be proceeds of corruption.
