The arrest of Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia has put fresh focus on controversial remarks he recently made against supporters of President William Ruto.
The legislator was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday morning, hours after spending the night at Royal Media Services (RMS), where he claimed police officers were waiting to arrest him after appearing on an Inooro TV programme.
By the time of his arrest, the DCI had not disclosed the offence or offences the MP is facing.
However, the arrest comes weeks after Kaguchia made a series of remarks that sparked outrage, with many Kenyans accusing him of promoting political intolerance and hate.
In one of the speeches circulating on social media, the MP threatened supporters of President Ruto living in the Mt Kenya region.
“We will hunt President Ruto’s supporters down. We will follow them from their homes and remove them from their beds. All must support Gachagua,” Kaguchia said.
He went on to suggest that Ruto’s supporters should be denied medical treatment.
“We will deny all President Ruto’s supporters in Mt Kenya medical access. If they get sick, we will let them die and take them to Sugoi,” he said.
The lawmaker also threatened to disrupt the personal lives of those he claimed support President Ruto.
“We will not allow marriages of President Ruto’s supporters here in Mt Kenya. We will disrupt their ceremonies and take away their dowry,” he said.
In another statement, Kaguchia warned that those backing the President would face consequences.
“We have taken note of President Ruto’s supporters here in Mt Kenya. They will face severe consequences. All people must support Gachagua. It is an order,” he said.
The arrest also comes at a time when the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has stepped up its crackdown on politicians accused of making inflammatory remarks ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The commission recently confirmed it was investigating 10 political leaders over alleged hate speech and ethnic incitement, warning that no leader will be spared if found to have broken the law.
However, neither the DCI nor NCIC had, by the time of publication, confirmed whether Kaguchia’s arrest was linked to the remarks attributed to him.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest remain unclear as investigators continue with their probe.
