Written by Were Kelly
Tensions flared in Maraigushu, Naivasha, on Saturday morning after anti-riot police officers mounted roadblocks around the home of area MP Jayne Kihara, barring local leaders from visiting her.
Teams of heavily armed officers were positioned along key access roads, sparking fear among residents as what many described as State intimidation against leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua intensified.
The blockade comes just two weeks after Kihara was arrested at her home and charged at the Milimani Law Courts with incitement.
Despite the security cordon, several area leaders and residents gathered outside her home in a show of solidarity.
Visibly emotional, the Naivasha MP told reporters she had invited friends for moral support and did not require any special clearance to host visitors.
“I have the right to host anyone in my home,” she said, accusing President William Ruto of orchestrating her troubles. “This will not stop me from speaking out and defending the poor from harassment by the State.”
Kihara alleged that both the President and his Deputy, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, regularly host delegations without interference, yet she and other leaders face reprisals for doing the same.
Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja criticised the State for deploying security forces to political standoffs instead of tackling rising insecurity in other parts of the country.
“We will stand with the MP. She’s being persecuted for her political stand and her support for the former DP,” he said.
His Viwandani counterpart, Mwangi Muraya, questioned whether Kenyan law now requires MPs to seek police permission for private visits.
Accusing the President of turning into “a dictator,” Muraya added, “We shall not allow this. The same people who supported him are now the ones being harassed.”
The incident has further heightened political friction in the Rift Valley, where the rivalry between Ruto’s allies and those loyal to Gachagua appears to be deepening.
