Kenya: Mukurweini MP Kaguchia Arrested After Overnight Standoff At Royal Media

What the report says

Mukurweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia was arrested by detectives in Nairobi after spending the night at Royal Media Services, where he had stayed following claims that police were trying to detain him. According to the report carried by Capital FM and distributed by AllAfrica, Kaguchia went to the media house after appearing on Inooro TV’s Kiririmbi programme on Sunday evening and said officers had surrounded the premises and set up roadblocks nearby.

The lawmaker said in a social media post that police had deployed outside Royal Media Studios with the intention of arresting him, and he later told Citizen TV that he believed the case stemmed from remarks he made at a political rally in Kieni, Nyeri County, on Saturday. Authorities had described those comments as inflammatory. Kaguchia argued that the matter should instead be handled through the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and said he had not received summons from investigators.

He also accused government-linked figures, including digital strategist Dennis Itumbi, of amplifying his remarks to justify action against him. During the rally, Kaguchia warned residents in the Mt Kenya region against supporting President William Ruto in the 2027 election, comments that drew criticism. Regional DCI commander Daniel Kandie said Kaguchia would be taken to the DCI regional headquarters in Nairobi for questioning as investigations continued.