Itumbi 'abduction': Exposing the truth and untruths

• Dec 27, 2021

By John Kamau, editor, thingira.org (Email:thingiragema@gmail.com)

For the past couple of days, news of the ‘abduction’ of Deputy President William Ruto’s digital strategist, Dennis Itumbi, has dominated the public discourse in Kenya.

While Ruto allies are vocal that the bigmouthed Itumbi was kidnapped and tortured senselessly by police officers for his loud mouth against the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta, they have not provided an iota of evidence to back their claims.

There are also those who claim Itumbi stage-managed his abduction to gain sympathy, and perhaps raise money from politicians, businessmen and hustlers for his use after the Christmas celebrations.

There are reports coffers have run dry at the Karen residence of the Deputy President, and hence his men who rely on his tokens for survival have been forced to devise new tricks to sustain themselves and their families.

Besides that, it is not the first time Itumbi has sensationally made such claims, having in the past claimed to have been privy to a secret plot by senior government officials to kill his master, Ruto. He now faces criminal charges over the false claims.

In this edition, Thingira.org goes the extra mile to expose the missing links in Itumbi's narrative, which proves the abduction was stage-managed for political mileage.   

According to MPs allied to Ruto christened Tanga Tanga, the blogger was tortured for being vocal against powerful government officers.

They claimed Itumbi was told by his tormentors that he was paying the price for raising his voice against Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.

The MP even claimed Itumbi confirmed his abductors took turns beating him while warning him that the torture was revenge for his social media coverage of Matiang’i, Kibicho, Mutyambai and DCI boss George Kinoti.

They also claimed his tormentors questioned him on a post he made on Saturday 18th December 2021 on the formation of a KRA team led by Sammy Muchemi ostensibly to harass businesspeople associated with Ruto.

They added the abductors warned Itumbi against discussing IG’s son identified as David Mwendwa who was involved in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of two Boda Boda riders.

The MPs claimed Itumbi was rescued by a taxi driver identified as Mr Makokha who found him limping in the Lucky Summer area near Kasarani stadium.

But the first missing link is: Who gave the tax-driver identified as Mr Makokha the mobile number of Itumbi's brother identified as David?

According to David, at 11:22pm, he received a call from a number belonging to a Mr Makokha, the taxi driver, who had found Itumbi limping in the Lucky Summer area near Kasarani Stadium.

But David does not disclose how Mr Makokha got the number, given that Itumbi was badly injured naked and confused and hence could not recall anything.

One cannot rule out Mr Makokha being an accomplice in the criminal act.

 The second missing link is:

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Director of Communications, Wanjohi Githae and Benjamin Imende reported the abduction at Thindigua Police station.

Imende even says he was called by a lady saloonist, who informed him about the abduction and when he went to Thindigua he found Githae had already arrived.

The record speed they arrived at the crime scene leaves many questions unanswered.

Also, Imende does not disclose the identity of the lady and whether he knew her, and how she got to witness the abduction.    

Again, when the OCS asked Imende and Githae to provide them with Itumbi's mobile number for them to track his movement, the two became weird and refused to provide the number.

The refusal by Imende and Githae to provide them with Itumbi’s phone number so that they could track it left many questions unanswered.

Police at Thindigua Police Post recorded the abduction under OB number 10/23/12/2021.

The third missing link is:

According to Itumbi friends and UDA politicians, the tax driver and boda boda riders who found him dumped in Lucky Summer totally naked rushed him to Uhai Neema hospital in Kasarani.

They claimed Itumbi was taken from a barbershop in Kiambu’s Thindigua area before being bundled into a vehicle by unknown men who sped off from the scene.

The tax driver and boda boda riders, according to Itumbi’s friends, claimed he had been dumped, fractured, injured and had some broken limbs.

At the Hospital he was visited by Elgeyo/Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen among others who took him to Nairobi West Hospital.

According to their reports, Itumbi had fractured both his two legs and his left hand and had injuries on most of his body parts when he was found naked in Lucky Summer area.

He was naked at the time and told the driver he thought he was in Eldoret.

They added that his left eye was bleeding an indication it was injured.

The fourth missing link is:

At Uhai Neema hospital in Kasarani and Nairobi West Hospital where he was admitted, no medical doctor has given an account of Itumbi's injuries.

The only account is from Itumbi’s friends such as his brother, David, Githae, Imende and activist Josiah Murigu. Their accounts are collaborated by the UDA politicians.

However, a simple analysis of his condition proves the abduction was stage-managed.

For one, a photo released by Itumbi's friends shows his mouth open. But according to medical experts, a person in pain or beaten does not have the energy to open his mouth.

In the photo, Itumbi's lips are not swollen which is strange if indeed he was beaten up.

He is also covered in a baby shawl, which raises more suspicion.

In the photo, he is also in the examination room where strangely, he is put on a drip.

He is also having a lady's trench coat and the blood stain visible in his hand is simply tomato sauce.

The plastic cast is also poorly done while the joint has no enhancing crisps, which proves the whole thing is stage-managed. 

In yet another photo released by Itumbi's friends, two females are seen smiling at the hospital ward while his brother in yet another photo is all smiles as he makes a telephone call - perhaps to raise funds.

In yet another photo taken at the recovery room, Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah is seen posing for a selfie with the bed-ridden Itumbi while smiling.

This is strange since one would expect the MP to be sad, not happy, on the blogger’s condition.

The fifth missing link is:

According to a medical report dated 26/12/ 2021, the doctor checked the patient’s affected area for tenderness, swelling, deformity and an open wound around the cornea of the left eye.

But the X-rays scans conducted on 25th December 5.30 am at the location of the reported fractures to determine the extent of injury to any adjacent joints did not slum any form of physical damage both internally and externally.

The doctors recommended more-detailed images using computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the ICU.

The doctor findings are as follows:

1. The patient is suffering from psychotic depression having exhibited third level symptoms of paranoia

2. Patient is at the gray hepatization stage of Pneumonia infection that has inflamed air sacs in both lungs. The air sacs are completely filled with fluid and pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm and pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing.

3. Patient has been suffering extreme tension pneumothorax requiring needle thoracostomy and intercostal drainage.

4. Patient tested positive for SARS virus (Covid-19).

From the doctor’s report, it is evident there were no beatings or torture, hence proving false the narrative that Itumbi was abducted by policemen who tortured him before dumping him at the Lucky Summer area.

The sixth missing link:

According to Itumbi’s friends, he jumped out of moving car and landed in a ditch, fracturing his legs and hands.

However, a man who had broken his legs and hands was able to walk a good distance to where his rescuers found him.

Furthermore, a man who jumped of a moving car had no visible injuries in the face and hands?

The seventh missing link is:

According to his friends, Itumbi was kidnapped

 while leaving a barbershop in Thindigua, along Kiambu Road by men who forced him into a saloon car, Toyota Premio.

The vehicle that was used to abduct him had registration number KBL 455S.

This was revealed by UDA leaders led by Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika.

But it has since emerged that the number plate KBL 455S is registered to a grey Mitsubishi station wagon and not a white Toyota Premio saloon car.

The chassis number of the vehicle with number plates KBL 455S is 2010MSA2300749 and the vehicle is owned by someone called Mr Ndalut.

From the above, it is clear Itumbi is in hospital not because of police beatings, but some other factors.

Thingira.org will keep you posted.