Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are under intense scrutiny after a dramatic raid on the home of Eliud Ng’ang’a, a Kenya Power engineer and pastor, in Ruiru, Kiambu County.
The pastor claims the raid was a retaliation for a sermon he delivered earlier, criticising the Kenya Kwanza government.
The incident occurred late Thursday, November 21, and was captured on CCTV. According to Ng’ang’a, the group of eight officers—seven men and one woman—arrived in three vehicles and tried to force their way into his compound by jumping over the gate.
DCI Boss Mohamed Ibrahim Amin during a past media presser. Photo: The Star Source: Facebook
The pastor confronted the group and demanded identification, but they refused to comply.
“They claimed to be DCI officers but did not produce any ID. When my son began recording the number plates of their vehicles, one officer brandished a gun and threatened to shoot him,” Ng’ang’a said. Unshaken, the pastor told the officers to shoot him first before harming his son.
The tense standoff lasted several minutes until the officers received a phone call, allegedly from higher authorities, ordering them to leave. They exited the premises without making any arrests.
Ng’ang’a believes the raid was a direct response to his recent sermon in which he criticised government attempts to silence the church from addressing matters of governance.
He said, “The church cannot be silenced from speaking about issues affecting the people.”
President William Ruto speaking during a State House meeting. Photo: William Ruto Source: Facebook
The pastor has since filed a report at Gitongore Police Station. However, the DCI has not yet commented on the matter.
The incident has sparked outrage among local leaders and citizens, reigniting concerns about the shrinking space for free speech and religious expression in Kenya.
President William Ruto, in his State of the Nation Address on the same day, condemned illegal arrests and abductions, but cases like Ng’ang’a’s continue to raise alarm.
