Moments after he was acquitted of terrorism-related charges, Manyatta Member of Parliament (MP) Gitonga Mukunji has urged President William to maintain the security of the nation.
Speaking after his release on Friday, September 6, Mukunji accused the State of fuelling insecurity by hiring goons who struck fear and fueled chaos, particularly during peaceful protests.
“To the President, and your government, stop making this country insecure for Kenyans, with immediate effect,” Mukunji asserted.
The outspoken MP, who is a fierce critic of the Ruto-led administration, also took a swipe at State agencies such as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which he accused of misusing the law to curtail the rights and freedoms of Kenyans.
“ODPP, you have been unable to charge me. It tells you that even the ones who have been charged, there is no case (against them),” he noted.
MP Mukunji's Saba Saba Arrest
Mukunji’s release came months after he was initially arrested over allegations of incitement to violence during the Saba Saba Day protests.
His arrest was initially revealed by lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, who disclosed that the MP was arrested at around 3 pm and booked at Kibii Police Station on Saba Saba Day. The National Police Service (NPS) later confirmed this, after uproar over Mukunji’s whereabouts.
A month after his arrest, Mukunji spoke out, alleging that his arrest only came after a plot to assassinate him failed.
According to the MP, who is a close ally of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, he conducted personal investigations where he uncovered an alleged plot to fill his car with explosives and frame him.
Afterwards, he alleged, they would have gunned him down, accusing him of ferrying the explosives.
After the plan reportedly failed, he claimed they planned to arrest him and then burn down the police station where he was being held.
Mukunji had been released on a Ksh300,000 cash bail or an alternative surety bond of Ksh1 million after spending three days in police custody.
Mukunji's Response to Arrest
While still facing the charges in court, Mukunji filed a petition at the High Court challenging his arrest during the Saba Saba protests, terming it unlawful and politically motivated.
The case, lodged at the Milimani Law Courts, targeted Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, DCI Director Mohamed Amin, and DPP Renson Ingonga, all of whom he contended abused their powers in arresting and charging him.
In the petition, Mukunji accused the State of misusing the Prevention of Terrorism Act to intimidate and silence critics of the government.
He argued that his arrest was not only irregular but also part of a broader crackdown on dissent disguised as national security enforcement.
