Mukurweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia spent the night inside the Royal Media Services premises before his arrest on Monday morning. He sought refuge at the media house after learning that armed, hooded, and masked officers were waiting outside to detain him.
Speaking before his arrest, Kaguchia expressed concern about the manner in which the operation was being conducted, citing fears for his safety. He emphasized his willingness to cooperate with investigations but insisted that any arrest should follow lawful procedures.
Concerns over arrest procedure
"The constitutional way of being arrested in Kenya is by being summoned and arrested by uniformed policemen under clear circumstances," the MP said. He described the presence of over 40 armed men in more than 15 vehicles executing the arrest at night as suspicious and alarming, especially given recent reports of abductions and enforced disappearances in the country.
Link to political remarks
Kaguchia linked the security action to comments he made during a political rally on Saturday, which he claims were misrepresented on social media as inflammatory. He noted that complaints regarding hate speech fall under the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), but he had not received any summons from the commission.
He also accused some government-aligned MPs, including Itumbi and others from Nyeri and the Mt Kenya region, of circulating distorted posts about his statements.
Call for lawful process
The MP reiterated his readiness to appear before authorities if summoned through proper channels, stressing that he would not voluntarily present himself to masked men conducting an unprocedural arrest.
Subsequent arrest and transfer
Later, a senior police officer arrived at the Royal Media Services studios demanding Kaguchia be produced. He was arrested outside the premises and taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters along Kiambu Road for questioning regarding his alleged inflammatory remarks.
