Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara has said she will not accept security provided by the government, citing concerns over her safety.
The MP accused the government of using State security as a tool for political punishment, as she maintained that having a security detail from the State was too risky.
Ms Kihara's resolve comes after the disappearance involving Juja MP George Koimburi, in an incident that has sparked outrage, particularly among opposition leaders.
The MP also lamented about the withdrawal of her initial security officers, who she claims were recently disarmed.
“We've been here before. They're not doing anything new,” Kihara said. “I don’t have officers. I don’t know what investigations were done. They were just informed to surrender their phone and firearm. I now depend on God.”
She added, “If they give me new security, I will not accept. That is how I will be killed,” she said. “I will only accept the security detail which I choose.”
The MP believes her security woes are mainly because of her opposition to the Kenya Kwanza government and her ties with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Kihara had previously claimed that her bodyguard was summoned in Naivasha and subsequently interrogated about the circumstances which led to a shootout during Gachagua's party launch on May 15.
During the launch, a person believed to be a police officer was holding a gun and shooting into the air as the crowd rushed towards the gate.
This is not the first time Kihara has openly expressed concerns over her safety. On Friday, May 23, on the same day her Juja counterpart Koimburi staged a dramatic escape from officers, the Naivasha lawmaker said she felt vulnerable as she pleaded with President William Ruto to reinstate her security.
"I feel very vulnerable now; I feel so naked… Mr. President, please give me back my security officer. I am a very small person to be fought with such a big punch, and I think it is not fair. Please, let me live because when you remove my bodyguard, it means you want to harm me. Don’t do what you swore not to do."
At the time, Kihara cited the death of Kasipul MP Charles Were as one of the main reasons why lawmakers such as herself needed more protection. Days later, after Juja MP Koimburi's alleged disappearance, the Naivasha lawmaker appears to have changed her stance.
Meanwhile, the opposition continued to pile pressure on the government over alleged persecution, with Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka dismissing claims by the National Police Service (NPS) that the MP had staged his own disappearance.
Both Kalonzo and Gachagua have alluded to the existence of this alleged unit, with the former Deputy President going further to suggest the squad could be using chemical inhalants to maim and torture critics of the government.
