Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri claims he was set up

Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri at a past event. (File, Standard)

Police are investigating the Kirinyaga deputy governor’s claims that he was a victim of an extortion gang that has exposed him to public ridicule.

A video implying that Peter Ndambiri was caught in a compromising situation with the alleged wife of another man has gone viral on social media.

The deputy governor last evening recorded a statement at Thika police station. In his statement, Mr Ndambiri claimed he was a victim of a set-up that was meant to embarrass him.

A source at the station said the video showing the official surrounded by several men assaulting him was shot at a house in Thika.

The filming was said to have happened a fortnight ago. A senior police officer at Thika police station said they had taken over the matter and were exploring the extortion theory.

The deputy governor told journalists: “I am a victim of a well-designed criminal gang that set a trap for me. They were armed to the teeth and their target was to kill me, but I pleaded with them to spare my life. I’m alive by the grace of God.”

However, he declined to say where it happened and whether he knew the woman in question, saying disclosing the details would jeopardise an ongoing investigation.

Ndambiri claimed he had gone for negotiations on a property he wanted to buy near Thika town when the gang struck. “All I want is for the police to move with speed and apprehend the criminals. The whole country wants to see those people so that they can be careful not to fall prey,” he said.

He urged his family and Kirinyaga residents to stay calm and be patient.

Muriithi Kang’ara, the Kirinyaga County Jubilee Party vice-chairman, said Ndambiri was duped by a person who pretended that he could sell him a house.

He claimed some people picked him up from a hotel in Thika and took him to an estate where the house was supposed to be located.

“...as the governor was being shown around, he was attacked by a gang of criminals who took him to a room and ordered him to undress,” claimed Mr Kang’ara.

He blamed the drama on Kirinyaga County 2022 politics.

A source close to the deputy governor and who declined to be named claimed the gang had demanded Sh5 million not to send the video to social media. “They had already been given some money by the time they released the video clip. What they did was very inhuman and the Government should not rest until the perpetrators are brought to book,” the source said.

Earlier, police had said no complaint had been filed over the video circulating on social media.

According to Police Spokesman Charles Owino, police could only act if there was a complainant.

“Police have not received any report concerning an alleged assault of the deputy governor of Kirinyaga County. Equally, the police spokesperson has not issued any statement,” he said.