The vocal businessman listed 36 items including high-end smartphones, laptops, jewellery and cash, all worth over Ksh8.5 million which he claimed were stolen during the raid.
Businessman and Safina Party leader, Jimi Wanjigi on Tuesday, September 10 breathed a sigh of relief after the High Court in Nairobi blocked Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohamed Amin from accessing his residence.
In the court’s ruling, the duo was also compelled to return all the items that belonged to the politician confiscated by security agencies during a raid conducted in early August.
The vocal businessman listed 36 items including high-end smartphones, laptops, jewellery and cash, all worth over Ksh8.5 million which he claimed were stolen during the raid.
Outside Jimi Wanjigi’s Muthaiga home. /FILE
Among those items illegally seized from his premises by authorities included two iPhone 15 Pro Max, one worth Ksh157,000, the price varying on specifications and can go up to Ksh225,000. An iPhone 14 was also listed by Wanjigi, whose market price can go up to Ksh93,500.
Also included are two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, one worth up to Ksh217,000, as well as an Apple Laptop, three Apple iPads and a Samsung tablet, whose versions were not identified. Also stated include a DVR HIKVISION Network Video Recorder, with some versions going for up to Ksh33,000, and house communication gadgets.
The seized items, Wanjigi added, included a jewellery collection featuring several high-value pieces comprising Cartier items such as the Hoop Love Earrings in rose gold, valued at Ksh268,320; the Juste Un Clou Ring in yellow gold, valued at Ksh170,280; the Love Ring with three diamonds in yellow gold, valued at Ksh528,900; and two pairs of Pave Diamond Stud Earrings, one in white gold and the other in rose gold, each valued at Ksh1.21 million.
Wanjigi also listed a pair of Cartier Trinity Earrings valued at Ksh258,000, and a Van Cleef and Arpels Mother of Pearl Vintage Alhambra pendant valued at Ksh387,000.
Additional jewellery included an Elias Baguette Ring with diamond, valued at Ksh129,000; Prada crystal embellished stud earrings, valued at Ksh107,070; a Mejuri Slim Signet Ring valued at Ksh26,832; a Mejuri Duo Beaded Stacker Ring valued at Ksh6,192 and a Mejuri Beaded Ring valued at Ksh13,932.
Other items include a Mejuri Gemstone Coil Ring, valued at Ksh16,512, a Hermes Clic H Bracelet, valued at Ksh90,300, a Patek Philippe Calatrava, valued at Ksh1.29 million, a Casio Dual Time Film Watch Vintage, valued at Ksh258,000 and Apple Air Pods Max, valued at Ksh103,200.
Similarly, Wanjigi included a Bose Ultra open Earbuds (x2), valued at Ksh103,200, a Bose Quiet Comfort limited edition, valued at Ksh38,700, a Sony wh-100 mx5, valued at Ksh51,600, old Cut diamond Stud earrings, valued at Ksh2.1 million and 570 USD (Ksh73,530) reportedly taken from Irene Wanjigi, Mary Wambui and one of Wanjigi’s staffers.
The extensive list of items showcases Wanjigi’s penchant for the luxury things in life owing to his immense wealth and influence in the country’s political landscape, and the rarity of the items in the market shows the lengths he is willing to go to get them back.
The court issued the orders pending the hearing and a determination of the petition presented before it in August this year.
“Pending the hearing and determination of the Application and Suit, the Court be and is hereby pleased to grant an Order directing the Respondents to return to the Plaintiffs/Applicants the following items illegally confiscated from the Plaintiffs,” the application reads in part.
“Pending the hearing and determination of the Application, the Honourable Court be and is hereby pleased to grant an Order restraining the Defendants or anyone acting under their instructions, behest, direction or authority from confiscating and/or destroying any property belonging to the Plaintiffs.”
Notably, the High Court in Nairobi on August 9 issued conservatory orders barring police from arresting him after the house raid took place. He previously moved to sue Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga and the Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli at the Milimani Law Courts.
Earlier, Masengeli called upon Wanjigi to surrender himself to any police station, linking him to the recent anti-government demonstrations dubbed ‘Nane Nane’, saying the police wanted Wanjigi to record a statement after several items linked to criminals believed to have infiltrated the Nane Nane protests were recovered from his car.
Wanjigi, in disagreement, claimed that police teargassed him and pursued him to his home on 44 Muthaiga Road, and thereafter attempted to forcefully enter his residence to arrest him. He also denied police reports that items including teargas canisters were allegedly seized from one of his escort vehicles outside his residence.
Businessman Jimi Wanjigi. /CITIZEN DIGITAL