Businessman Jimi Wanjigi received a significant legal reprieve on Friday when the High Court in Nairobi issued orders barring the police from arresting or detaining him.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, came in response to an urgent application filed by Wanjigi on Thursday seeking protection against law enforcement actions.
The court’s conservatory order restrains the police, along with their servants, agents, and any third parties acting under their direction, from detaining, arresting, or restricting Wanjigi’s freedom of movement.
The order further mandates that if Wanjigi had already been detained or restrained, he must be immediately released, with all necessary measures taken to ensure his freedom pending the inter-partes hearing scheduled for August 16, 2024.
Wanjigi’s legal action followed a tense standoff with the police during the ‘Nane Nane’ protests in Nairobi on Thursday.
The former presidential candidate claimed that he was teargassed by the police and pursued to his home on 44 Muthaiga Road.
He alleged that police attempted to forcibly enter his residence to effect an arrest.
Additionally, Wanjigi has vehemently denied police claims that teargas canisters and other items were seized from a vehicle outside his home.
In court documents, he argued that the vehicle in question did not belong to him or any of his associates, dismissing the police reports as unfounded.
