MP Jayne Kihara Arrested at Her Home Days after She Snubbed DCI Summons
- Several DCI officers camped at MP Jayne Kihara's home, where she was hosting her supporters before her arrest
- In a video shared on her page, the police officers at Naivasha Police Station attempted to block her supporters from covering the incident live
- Speaking after the brief booking, she affirmed her safety after her supporters tried to prevent her from boarding the DCI's Subaru car
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Naivasha MP Jayne Wanjiku Kihara has been arrested after failing to honour a summons issued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegations of undermining the authority of a public officer.
Source: Facebook
Kihara, a vocal critic of President William Ruto’s administration and a close ally of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, was taken into custody from her Maraigushu home.
Prior to her arrest, she posted on Facebook that DCI officers had camped outside her residence to arrest her. At the time, she was hosting her supporters at her residence.
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"Dozens of police officers are currently at my Maraigushu home to arrest me," she wrote.
Why was Jayne Kihara summoned?
The lawmaker was summoned to appear before DCI officers at Mazingira House on Monday, July 14, for allegedly disseminating inciteful or disruptive content, in contravention of Section 132 of the Penal Code.
In defiance of the summons, Kihara posted online, dismissing the move as political intimidation.
"The days of intimidating leaders using the criminal justice system are long gone. This is not about me, but about our country, Kenya," she wrote.
Despite being escorted by a group of supporters to the Naivasha Sub-County Police Station, police officers attempted to bar the media from broadcasting the incident live.
However, the accompanying youth rejected the order, insisting that a court directive was required to restrict media coverage.
Source: Facebook
Why did DCI arrest Jayne Kihara?
Speaking after her brief booking, she said:
“Don’t worry, we’ll fight to the end. They claim I have information that could help their investigation, but I don’t even know what it is. This is the very government I fought for—now it’s the one arresting me. They tell me the summons came from Nairobi, and I’m told the director is waiting for me there. This is all political."
Kihara was transferred to Nairobi to the DCI headquarters. Before leaving, the UDA politician assured her constituents who attempted to block her from boarding the DCI's Subaru vehicle that she would be safe.
Her arrest adds to rising political tension amid growing dissent against the government’s handling of recent protests and civil unrest.
Is Jayne Kihara's life in danger?
Meanwhile, two months prior to her arrest, Kihara raised alarm over the withdrawal of her security detail, citing growing threats against Members of Parliament.
She appealed directly to the president to intervene and reinstate her protection, warning of potential consequences.
Kihara criticised what she termed as political intimidation through the use of state security agencies.
She maintained that if any harm befell her in the absence of official protection, responsibility would lie with the president.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
