Manyatta Member of Parliament Gitonga Mukunji has broken his silence following his arrest over chaos witnessed in parts of Embu County during the Saba Saba commemoration and his subsequent arraignment in court.
MP Mukunji’s lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, said the legislator was arrested at around 3 pm on Monday, July 7, and booked at Kibii Police Station at 3:53 pm.
The legislator was later picked up by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) based at Juja Police Station.
Speaking at the Kahawa Law Courts on Tuesday, the lawmaker claimed that his arrest is a form of intimidation from the government.
He said that the charges levelled against him do not carry weight to convict him of a crime and asserted that he will continue advocating for the rights of Kenyans despite such setbacks.
The Manyatta MP, while responding to the protests that ensued earlier today in Embu following his arrest, stressed the need for the youths to maintain calm and refrain from destruction of property.
“Of course, the charges that have been presented in court will not carry any weight. I want to assure people that I’m safe, and I would like to encourage our youths not to destroy property,” Mukunji said.
“I will not be intimidated because I will continue defending my people, but the loss of property and businesses and loss of life is something that we have to stop.”
Also Read: UN Speaks After Death of At Least 10 Kenyans on Saba Saba Day
MP Mukunji arrested
Lawyer Njiru on Monday said that Mukunji was booked under Occurrence Book (OB) number 06/07/07/2025.
The MP was held briefly for the “exclusive purpose of holding him” before being transferred elsewhere.
The National Police Service, later in a statement on Monday evening confirmed that Mukunji had indeed been arrested.
“A number of suspects have been arrested, including Gitonga Mukunji, MP for Manyatta Constituency,” the statement read.
Embu Town was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday morning following the arrest of MP Mukunji, sparking fierce clashes between protesters and police.
The town was gripped by tension for several hours as businesses shut down, major roads were barricaded, and security forces battled to restore order.
Angry demonstrators, largely made up of youths, lit bonfires and obstructed major routes, including the Embu-Meru and Embu-Kiritiri highways near the NHIF offices.
This severely disrupted traffic flow and brought normal activities to a standstill.
In response, authorities deployed additional police units, with reinforcements arriving in trucks and Land Cruisers to curb potential looting and property damage—a scene reminiscent of earlier waves of unrest in the region.
Police resorted to using tear gas and firing shots into the air to scatter the crowds. However, tensions persisted throughout the morning, forcing banks, supermarkets, shops, and government offices to remain closed for a second consecutive day.
Embu’s usually lively commercial hub was left eerily deserted, resembling a ghost town as residents stayed away amid the chaos.
DPP approves terrorism charges against 37 individuals in Kahawa Law Courts
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga has approved and filed terrorism charges against 37 individuals arraigned at the Kahawa Law Courts.
Also Read: Anti-Ruto MP Arrested as Saba Saba Deaths Rise
The charges follow the arrest of suspects in Kikuyu and Matuu area of Kiambu and Machakos Counties, respectively.
Among those arraigned are 25 individuals alleged to have committed a terrorist act on June 25, between 12:00 PM and 11:00 PM in Kikuyu.
The act resulted in damage to government facilities, including Kikuyu Probation Offices, Kikuyu Law Courts, Kikuyu Sub-County Offices, Kikuyu Chief’s Office, the Office of the Registrar of Persons, Kikuyu Sub-County Education Office, the Sub-County Accountant’s Office, Registrar of Lands Office, Dagoretti Police Post and the Kikuyu Deputy County Commissioner’s Office.
The suspects also face a separate charge of arson, with an alternative charge of malicious damage to property.
They were arraigned alongside two other individuals, Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru, alias Kawanjiru, and Serah Wanjiku Thiga, allies linked to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who face similar charges
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
