A high Court Judge has on Thursday morning sentenced Director of Criminal Investigations, George Kinoti, to four months in Kamiti Maximum prison for contempt of court in a firearms case involving businessman Jimi Wanjigi.

Justice Anthony Mrima ordered Kinoti to surrender to prison authorities within seven days to commence his sentence.

The Judge went ahead to issue an arrest warrant against the DCI boss and directed the Inspector General of Police to enforce them.

The sentencing comes after Kinoti failed to present himself in person on Monday, September 27, 2021, in court following a summons by the judge.

In 2019 Justice Chacha Mwita ruled that the government acted unreasonably by taking away Wanjigi’s firearms since he had a valid license and ordered the state to return firearms confiscated from Wanjigi’s home but the orders were not honoured.

“The plaintiff’s rights were violated by the respondents. The actions of the respondents were unlawful and actuated by malice. The court grants orders that all firearms be returned to the plaintiff,” Justice Mwita ruled.

In February 2021, the court gave further orders for the DCI to ensure the businessman got his guns back but this too was also ignored.

The firearms saga involving Jimi Wanjigi started in the wake of the 2017 elections after Police linked him to firearms (five rifles and 93 bullets) discovered at a Villa in Malindi. Wanjigi denied owning the villa and termed the issue as political harassment.

The police later moved to his Muthaiga home in Nairobi where they sought to arrest him over the firearms.