EACC detectives raid Michael Kamau's home in Karen
Gate to the home of former Transport CS Michael Kamau in Karen, Nairobi. A relative of Mr Kamau told the Nation that the 10 detectives arrived at the home at 5am riding in two vehicles. PHOTO | FRED MUKINDA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- A relative of Mr Kamau told the Nation that the 10 detectives arrived at the home at 5am riding in two vehicles.
- The detectives' mission was not immediately clear but Mr Kamau’s lawyer, Nelson Havi, said they claimed they were acting on "powers from above."
Detectives from the anti-corruption watchdog on Tuesday morning raided the Karen home of former Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau in the capital Nairobi.
The crime busters from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) descended on residence in Windy Ridge Estate, along Pepo Lane, at dawn and camped there for more than four hours.
10 OFFICERS
A relative of Mr Kamau told the Nation that the 10 detectives arrived at the home at 5am riding in two vehicles.
The detectives' mission was not immediately clear but Mr Kamau’s lawyer, Nelson Havi, said they claimed they were acting on "powers from above."
The officers left the residence at 10am without carrying anything.
The family protested protested the raid, saying the detectives did not have a search warrant.
"My colleague Njau Wambua, who was here during the search, asked them for a warrant but they did not have it,” said Mr Havi.
“He also showed them an order by court of appeal barring EACC from investigating my client."
The raid comes a month after the High Court allowed the EACC to begin fresh investigations into corruption accusations against Mr Kamau.
Judge Hedwig Ongudi on April 11, 2018 declined to acquit Mr Kamau, saying his successful appeal— which saw the charges withdrawn on July 14, 2017— was allowed because EACC was not properly constituted at the time it completed the investigations and forwarded its report and recommendations to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
SH30M
“It was not based on the manner the investigations were carried out or the innocence of Mr Kamau. That is why the Court of Appeal did not get into the substance of the investigations undertaken by the EACC,” the anti-corruption judge said.
Mr Kamau was in 2015 charged with two counts of abuse office and wilful failure to comply with applicable procedures as well as guidelines relating to management of public funds.
He was also accused of failing to comply with the set rules by ignoring the design of Kamukuywa-Kaptama-Kapsokwony-Sirisia Road done by Engiconsult Limited at a cost of Sh33,303,600 and entering into a memorandum under which the resident engineer redesigned the same road without due process.
He allegedly abused his authority by causing the road to be redesigned without involving experts.
The former CS was accused of committing the said offences between 2007 and 2008 when he served as the permanent secretary in the Roads and Public Works ministry.
His prosecution in June 2015 came after he was suspended from his ministerial position by President Kenyatta.
