Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been detained at Pangani Police Station after being denied bail following his arrest on Monday afternoon. His arrest is linked to allegedly inflammatory remarks he made during an event in Ruiru on Sunday night. Waititu is set to be arraigned on Tuesday to face charges related to cybercrime.
Opposition leaders, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, arrived at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters shortly after Waititu’s arrest but were denied entry. They condemned the arrest as an act of intimidation. Tensions escalated when opposition members attempted to inquire about the reasons for Waititu’s detention, facing resistance from police officers who were reportedly acting on orders from their superiors.
Waititu’s arrest occurred while he was conducting personal business along the Eastern Bypass, and it stemmed from remarks made during a concert featuring a popular Kikuyu musician. In a video from the event, he was heard saying, “But we said one thing: if they take that motion to Parliament, then Gachagua’s MPs, led by Kalonzo’s MPs, will also take a motion to impeach Ruto. There’s no day Gachagua will go home alone since we voted them in as one ticket.”
Opposition figures criticized the incident as another example of intimidation by the Kenya Kwanza government. Eugene Wamalwa emphasized the importance of Kalonzo leading the opposition team, while Musyoka characterized the unexplained arrest as akin to an abduction, stating, “We have come to say no.”
Following questioning, Waititu was transferred to Pangani Police Station, where he remains in custody pending his arraignment. Opposition leaders also questioned why the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) did not summon Waititu if his comments were indeed considered inflammatory.
