A resident of Mukurwe-ini speaks to the media after they took to the streets on Monday to protest the arrest of their MP John Kaguchia. /SCREENGRABResidents of Mukurwe-ini took to the streets on Monday to protest the arrest of their MP John Kaguchia, accusing the government of targeting leaders from the Mt Kenya region and attempting to intimidate voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The demonstrators, who gathered in the constituency hours after the legislator was arrested in Nairobi, demanded his immediate release, insisting the case against him was politically motivated.
Some of the protesters said the government's actions would not influence how the region votes in the next election, maintaining that residents would make their own political choices regardless of arrests targeting elected leaders.
"Let the government now hear this from us; we cannot be intimidated, we cannot be coerced," said one aspiring MCA.
The protests came after Kaguchia was arrested on Monday morning outside the Royal Media Services studios in Nairobi following an overnight standoff with security officers.
The MP had sought refuge inside the media house, saying he feared being arrested by hooded and masked men whom he claimed had surrounded the premises overnight.
He was later escorted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for questioning over remarks he allegedly made during a political rally.
On the streets of Mukurwe-ini, angry residents questioned why the MP had been arrested over remarks they described as minor while, they claimed, other politicians allied to the government had made more inflammatory statements without facing similar action.
"You are arresting someone that has just said something small. Release Kaguchia, we have nothing to negotiate with the government," one resident said.
Others argued that other leaders had allegedly referred to an entire community as "hyenas" but had not been arrested, claiming the law was being applied selectively.
The protesters further maintained that telling the government that President William Ruto would not receive votes from the Mt Kenya region did not amount to incitement.
They vowed to sustain the demonstrations until the government released the legislator, describing his arrest as unjust and politically driven.
By 4pm on Monday, Kaguchia was still in police custody. His legal team, alongside political allies led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, said they were working to secure his release on bond.
However, the MP is expected to spend the night in custody ahead of his planned arraignment in court on Tuesday.
Kaguchia's arrest followed claims by investigators that remarks he made during a political rally were inflammatory.
The legislator has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that his comments had been taken out of context and distorted on social media to fit a particular political narrative.
He also argued that if his utteraces were inflamatory, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) would have been the entity to summon him, but they were yet to do so.
He said he had neither been summoned by the commission nor any other authority prior to his arrest, insisting he was willing to cooperate with investigators provided due legal process was followed.
