Nairobi Law Monthly offices raided

By Cyrus Ombati

Suspected thugs raided the offices of Nairobi Law Monthly publication and made away with crucial documents and computers in what was termed as a well planned attack.

The gang of unknown people hacked and seriously wounded two guards who were on duty after they tried to stop them from accessing the offices located on Mayfair Suites near Parklands police station.

The raiders seemed to know what they were looking for as they broke and ransacked specific drawers before confiscating computer parts that had crucial data on the publication’s operations and investigations.

The incident crippled operations at the offices on Friday but the owners vowed not to let it affect them. The publisher, Ahmednassir Abdulahi said they planned to publish 200 pages of major scandals in the country in their next edition.

Without giving details, Abdulahi said they have and will be publishing articles that no other media has courage to carry.

“It is now imperative that we will publish even what we were considering not to. This is not an ordinary robbery,” he said.

Abdulahi termed the attack cowardly and aimed at intimidating them and the media fraternity at large.
He said they plan to publish a bumper magazine in the month of October when the publication turns a year old.

“I want to assure those who were behind this that we will publish the stories that they think they have crippled us not to. We will not be cowed,” he said.

He added that the raid was just a setback that they will overcome. His lawyer Paul Muite said the attack has marks similar to those carried out by government agents.

“This is terrible development happening in this era of a new constitution. When one media is threatened, the entire media is threatened,” said Muite.

He said he will fight to ensure those behind the incident are known and exposed.

The gang gained access into the compound after cutting a metal fence and used a ladder to get into the first floor where the offices are.

They then broke the main entrance before they started to vandalise property. It was at that point that guards realised of the raid and tried to intervene. Two of them were hacked before being tied in a corner; blood stains were evident on the corridors.

To avoid being noticed, the gang turned up the CCTV cameras mounted on the corridors as they went about their business.

Gigiri OCPD Josek Nasio said they are yet to know the attackers and their motive. He added police are investigating the incident.

Nairobi Law Monthly started publishing last year after being bought from the former owner, Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara. It publishes, investigative issues, on a monthly basis.