Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on Friday, July 18, 2025, facing charges of incitement with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.
Her court appearance follows arrest on Thursday at her home in Nakuru County, which was live-streamed on her Facebook page.
Kihara’s charges come from remarks made on July 8, 2025, where she allegedly accused President William Ruto of orchestrating chaos in Naivasha during the recent Saba Saba protests.
According to the charge sheet, Kihara claimed that “goons” were transported to Naivasha in an NYS bus and dropped off at Karagita, while others were brought in trucks to Mai Mahiu.
She further alleged that police were complicit, stating, “police are not doing anything, they didn’t try to arrest the goons, we could see in the place goons walking with them”.
Kihara’s lawyer, C.N. Kihara, dismissed the charges as inconsequential, typically used against “drunk men in the village” rather than a seasoned Member of Parliament.
This arrest comes after Kihara failed to honor a summons from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) earlier in the week. The DCI had sought to question her regarding alleged remarks undermining the authority of a public officer, specifically in connection with a speech she delivered at the burial of Boniface Kariuki, a protester killed during the Saba Saba demonstrations.
Kihara has consistently maintained that the summons and subsequent arrest are politically motivated attempts to suppress dissent against the current administration.
Prominent political figures, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, attended the court proceedings, condemning the arrest and arraignment as harassment and political intimidation. “We are here not just to defend her but to defend the right to speak truth to power,” Kalonzo said. “This is not law. It is repression. We will not be silenced. We will fight back.”
