Mukurweini MP arrested after overnight stay at Royal Media studios

Mukurweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia at a past event. [File, Standard]

Mukurweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia was on Monday morning arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after spending the night at Royal Media Services (RMS), claiming police were waiting to detain him over remarks he allegedly made during a political rally.

The legislator remained inside the media house from Sunday evening after appearing on Inooro TV's Kiririmbi programme, where he claimed a contingent of police officers had surrounded the premises and mounted roadblocks in preparation for his arrest.

In a post on his social media accounts on Sunday night, Kaguchia alleged that security officers had laid siege to the media house.

"After my Kiririmbi Show this evening, a contingent of police have surrounded Royal Media Studios and erected road blocks with intentions of arresting me! I will NOT BE INTIMIDATED whatsoever," he wrote.

His arrest is linked to remarks he made during a political rally in Kieni, Nyeri County, on Saturday, which he claimed had been deliberately misrepresented as inflammatory.

He accused several government officials, including legislators from the Mt Kenya region of amplifying what he described as a distorted narrative surrounding his comments.

"I saw a lot of hype yesterday by the government about my political utterances that I did on Saturday in one of the political rallies, which I saw were being pushed as being inflammatory. That is an issue that falls under the purview of NCIC," Kaguchia said.

During the Kieni rally, the MP, who was speaking in Kikuyu dialect, warned Mt Kenya residents against voting for President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election, saying those who supported the President would be identified, traced to their homes and "smoked out".

An officer involved in the operation confirmed to The Standard that Kaguchia had been taken to the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road for questioning as investigations continue.