DCI Cop Who Exposed Kinoti in Gachagua’s Case Promoted

Obadiah Kuria, a detective who alleged that he was coerced to frame Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the Ksh7.3 billion graft case, was promoted on Tuesday, November 1. 

Kuria was appointed to head the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Turkana County in the latest reshuffles done by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Amin Mohamed and approved by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC). 

Initially, he was the head of the Serious Crime Unit based at the DCI’s Kiambu Road headquarters.  He also doubled up as a senior Superintendent of Police who worked closely with the former DCI boss George Kinoti.

Image of DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road

FILE

DCI Amin instructed him to assume his new duties immediately. 

On October 19, Kuria made headlines after alleging that he was pressured to recommend charges against Gachagua in the Ksh7.3 billion case.

He argued that the evidence gathered was insufficient to prosecute the former Mathira MP.

“There are crucial areas of investigations that were not adequately covered in the course of our investigations that would shed some light in determining the culpability or otherwise of the accused persons charged,” his affidavit read in part.

He thus asked the court to drop the case under Section 87 (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Gachagua had earlier lamented that the case was politically motivated, terming it a witch hunt. He castigated the former DCI boss for fabricating claims to charge him.

The reshuffles also came a few days after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji alleged that Kinoti was presenting cases that would not warrant prosecution. 

“Over time, we discovered that the DCI was not serious in availing concrete evidence for cases. That is why we had a push and pull between the two offices.

“We could not proceed with cases that didn’t meet our threshold. They lacked sufficient evidence to be presented in court,” Haji stated.

Kinoti has not yet responded to all the allegations. 

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