Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has made a chilling declaration, holding President William Ruto directly responsible should anything happen to her following the withdrawal of her security detail. Addressing journalists in Nairobi on Friday, Kihara decried what she termed as political intimidation against allies of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Kihara revealed that her bodyguard was recalled on Wednesday, disarmed, and even had his phone confiscated. The MP, a staunch supporter of Gachagua, linked the move to political vendettas within the Kenya Kwanza coalition, saying it was a deliberate attempt to silence dissent. “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,” she pleaded.
Citing the recent fatal shooting of Kasipul MP Charles Were in Nairobi, Kihara emphasized the constitutional right of legislators to security, warning against the weaponisation of state institutions. “MPs are entitled to a bodyguard… are we supposed to have goons in the car with pangas or rungus?” she asked.
Kihara’s emotional appeal comes in the wake of similar claims by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who recently alleged that his life was under threat and accused state intelligence officers of plotting to harm him during a church visit in Murang’a County.
The escalating tensions between Ruto and Gachagua camps signal deepening divisions within the ruling coalition. Kihara warned that persecuting Gachagua’s allies would only serve to fracture political unity further. “Being a friend to Gachagua is not a crime,” she stated.
As political fault lines sharpen within Kenya Kwanza, questions now loom over the government’s commitment to tolerance and democracy. Whether Kihara’s security will be reinstated remains uncertain, but her public accusation has certainly ignited debate over the use of state power in political disputes.
