Embattled Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara, once a vocal supporter of President William Ruto, has accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of failing to tackle the country’s worsening cost of living and turning state machinery against dissenting voices.
Kihara has expressed deep disappointment with the leadership she once defended, alleging that President Ruto has neglected governance in favor of perpetual politicking.
“My President has a problem with sitting in office and working; he is very good at campaigning,” she said. “I thought he would sit in State House and fix things, the same way we were telling people during campaigns.”
Kihara also opened up about her recent arrest by DCI officers, describing the experience as politically motivated. Although she was released on a Ksh 50,000 bond, Kihara maintains the force used during the arrest was excessive and unjustified.
“It’s not comfortable being in a cell. It’s not nice, especially when you know it’s political persecution,” she said. “The force they used was too much. There were about 10 vehicles (trucks, Subarus, Proboxes) and around 30 men coming for a single woman.”
The MP is scheduled to appear in court on July 29th, where it will be determined whether charges of incitement from her involvement in the Saba Saba protests are valid.
“If I am told to go to cell like I did, I would go ten times. That is a political hazard, that’s where I am, I am in politics,” she affirmed.
Further criticizing the state’s handling of political opposition, Kihara accused the government of using police to silence dissent. She cited an incident in Subukia, where police allegedly attempted to shut down a church service she was attending to block her from addressing congregants. She drew parallels to a similar standoff in Nakuru, where police tried to prevent a Democratic Change Party (DCP) rally.
“We went for a church service somewhere in Subukia (AIC). And on our way back, we found police. And why they had gone there was not to allow us to speak,” Kihara said.
Kihara urged the government to fulfill the promises it made to Kenyans instead of engaging in supremacy battles with the opposition.
“All the things we said we wouldn’t do, we are doing. The things we said we would do, we don’t do them. It’s completely the opposite, unfortunately. Some of us feel misused,” she stated.
Kihara’s remarks add to the mounting criticism from both opposition leaders and former allies of the Kenya Kwanza administration, especially over the state’s response to the June 25th and July 7th anti-government protests.
