The Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet has denied that the invasion of DP William Ruto’s home was stage-managed following speculation by members of the public.
The IG was responding as various social media users questioned the timing and nature of the attack saying that the attack was stage managed for sympathy votes.
After initial reports of several attackers, the IG said that it was a lone gunman who engaged officers for about 18 hours and was only killed on Sunday morning.
Responding to questions as to why the Recce unit took that long to take out a lone attacker, the IG said caution was taken in the overnight operation to prevent loss of lives.
“It was not stage-managed. The operation took many hours because we had to handle things clearly,” said the IG.
“Even in Europe it takes days to contain such situations because you need to be conscious of the safety of individuals and the officers…you have to take a lot of things into consideration.”
At the end of the operation, the attacker was killed. One policeman was also killed while another was injured but is in hospital in stable condition.
During a press conference on Sunday, Boinnet said that the attacker did not breach the inner gate to the residence but was only able to breach the outer one.
“There are two gates. The man only breached the outer gate. The inner gate, which is under tight security, was not breached at all,” he said.
He said that a GSU officer manning the gate was attacked with a panga and his weapon taken away by the attacker at about noon.
“He inflicted deep cuts on his head, hands and legs as the officer attempted to fight him. In the process, however, and in circumstances we are yet to establish fully, the intruder managed to seize his rifle…those were the bullets he used to fight back…” he said.
The IG said that the attacker sought refuge in an unfinished building next to the gate when other security agents responded to the situation.
He said that the attacker took an armory box which was with the officers and he got more bullets which he used to engage the agents in gunfire.
“But then the armoury box was with the officers so the intruder took it and that is where he got more bullets to fire back,” he said.
“He shot one trying to access the area. It was then that police realised the night shift officer had taken time to relax in one of the quarters close to the building.
“Realising the gravity of the matter, we sent officers to bring the standoff to an end. At about 3am, several attempts were made to establish where the intruder was hiding.”
Boinnet said police are investigating the identity and motive of the intruder.
“We want to know what happened. We want to establish the circumstances that led to the intrusion.”
