Naivasha MP Kihara accuses state of targeting Gachagua allies with fabricated charges

Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has accused the state of targeting leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with trumped-up charges aimed at silencing dissenting voices.

Kihara claimed the government, through the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), fabricated charges against her following remarks she made alleging that dozens of youths were ferried to Naivasha town to incite violence during the recent Saba Saba protests.

The legislator was arrested at her Maraigushu home on July 17, for failing to honour a summons by the DCI concerning the statements.

Addressing hundreds of supporters in Naivasha town Saturday evening, the second-term MP vowed not to be intimidated by what she termed as political persecution. 

She asserted that leaders backing the former Deputy President were being unfairly targeted and accused of sponsoring unrest during demonstrations.

On July 18, Kihara was arraigned before a Nairobi court and charged with making statements deemed likely to disturb public peace and was released on a bond of Ksh.50,000

She further alleged that President William Ruto had, from the outset, used Gachagua’s influence to ascend to the presidency, only to later plot his political downfall through impeachment.

Kihara also revealed that she had been de-whipped from key parliamentary committees due to her opposition to efforts aimed at ousting Gachagua. 

She accused some elected leaders of spreading falsehoods and urged the government to fulfil its promises to the youth by creating sustainable jobs through the establishment of industries.

Alex Mbugua, the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Lakeview Ward, echoed Kihara’s sentiments, claiming that the MP was being intimidated by the very government she helped to form.

Mbugua supported her claims that individuals had been transported into the lakeside town during the Saba Saba protests to incite chaos and loot property.

Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja added that Kihara should be allowed to perform her parliamentary duties without interference or intimidation by state security agencies. 

He described the charges levelled against her as outdated and colonial, urging President Ruto to focus on working with all leaders, including those previously aligned with opposition blocs who now support his administration.