Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has for the first time publicly spoken about the controversial police raid on his Karen residence in February 2023, describing it as a deeply painful and traumatising experience.
In a candid interview on Tuesday night, Matiang’i recounted the distress and humiliation he and his family endured during the night raid. “It’s an incident I would not like to discuss because it evokes very painful memories and frustrations I would like to completely forget,” he said. “Even later on, senior security officers in the country have spoken to me about it and admitted to all the things planned for my residence.”
The former CS, who served under retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, said the ordeal was not just personal but emblematic of the broader frustrations faced by many officials from the Jubilee administration after the Kenya Kwanza government took power. He described the raid as part of a wider pattern of harassment against former Cabinet members and even the former President.
The initial reported raid on the night of February 9, 2023, caused widespread public outcry. However, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) dismissed the incident as a “well-coordinated and deliberate attempt to spread false information and incite public fear.” Despite this denial, police officers raided Matiang’i’s home again on February 15, 2023, in a bid to retrieve CCTV footage of the earlier incident—an operation carried out despite court orders denying the request.
Matiang’i expressed his disappointment with how the situation was handled, but noted that he has chosen to forgive and move forward. “It’s a very unfortunate incident… I personally would not like to see happen to anybody in this country,” he said.
Though visibly pained, Matiang’i emphasized the need for national healing and dignity in political transitions. “I think the less said about that incident, the better for me. The circumstances around it were not only frustrating but traumatising,” he concluded.
His revelations offer a rare glimpse into the post-transition challenges faced by former top government officials and raise fresh questions about the treatment of political leaders after a change in administration.
