ADVERT 
ADVERTMukurweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia was arrested on Monday morning by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), bringing to an end an overnight standoff at the Royal Media Services (RMS) headquarters where the legislator had remained after a television interview.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) lawmaker was taken into custody hours after police surrounded the media complex following his appearance on Inooro TV’s Kiririmbi political programme on Sunday night.
Before his arrest, Kaguchia used social media to allege that security officers had mounted an operation to apprehend him. He insisted that he would not be intimidated despite what he described as an overwhelming police presence around the station.
In another post made during the early hours of Monday, the MP claimed that more than 40 hooded and heavily armed men, travelling in multiple Subaru vehicles and double-cab pickups, had encircled the RMS premises. He further alleged that no uniformed police officers were visible at the scene.
Kaguchia’s arrest comes just days after remarks he made during a political rally in Kieni, Nyeri County, sparked widespread criticism.
ADVERTAddressing supporters over the weekend, the MP warned Mt Kenya residents against supporting President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election. He suggested that anyone who voted for the President would be identified and pursued, remarks that quickly generated heated debate across the political divide.
The comments have drawn scrutiny, with observers questioning whether they amounted to incitement or political intimidation ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Shortly after the arrest, lawyer Ndegwa Njiru claimed he had been denied access to the legislator while at the DCI headquarters.
Njiru said he had accompanied fellow advocate Muriu to the agency’s offices but alleged that investigators declined to allow them to meet their client.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations had not, by the time of publication, publicly disclosed the specific offences for which Kaguchia had been arrested or confirmed whether the arrest was directly linked to his recent political statements.
The arrest is expected to further heighten political temperatures in the Mt Kenya region, where divisions over President Ruto’s administration and the 2027 succession race continue to widen.
Supporters of the MP have described the arrest as politically motivated, while critics argue that elected leaders must be held accountable for statements that could inflame political tensions or threaten public order.
With investigations now underway, attention is shifting to whether prosecutors will formally charge the lawmaker and what implications the case could have for the increasingly charged political landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election.
