NAIROBI, Kenya – Lawyers representing Mukurwe-ini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia have claimed they have been denied access to the legislator following his arrest on Monday, saying his family has also been unable to establish his whereabouts.
Speaking outside the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters along Kiambu Road, High Court Advocate Ndegwa Njiru said members of Kaguchia’s legal team had remained at the premises since the legislator was taken into custody but had not been allowed to see him.
“We have been at the reception since the time Kaguchia was arrested. We have not been able to access our client. After Kaguchia was arrested, instructions were firm that we should not access our client,” Njiru said.
The advocate claimed that neither the MP’s lawyers nor his relatives had been informed where he was being held, the reasons for his arrest or his current condition.
“So even as we address the media at this time, we have not been able to access him. We do not know his whereabouts, we do not know his status, we do not know the reason he has been arrested,” he added.
Njiru further alleged that Kaguchia’s mobile phone had been confiscated, preventing him from communicating with his legal representatives or family members.
“His phone has been confiscated. He has not been allowed to access any member of the family or the advocates,” he claimed.
The legal team said it was awaiting an official communication from the DCI confirming whether the legislator was in its custody and indicating the location where he was being held.
“We are still waiting to hear the directions from the DCI himself to confirm to the country whether the MP for Mukurwe-ini is within their custody, whether they have arrested him, and they disclose the location because it is important for us to know whether there is any record detailing his whereabouts,” Njiru said.
Kaguchia was arrested on Monday morning after leaving the Royal Media Services premises in Nairobi, where he had spent the night following an appearance on Inooro TV’s Kiririmbi programme.
The arrest followed claims by the legislator that heavily armed security officers had surrounded the media house after his television interview.
Authorities are investigating remarks allegedly made by Kaguchia during a political rally in Kieni, Nyeri County, over the weekend, although no formal charges had been announced by the time of publication.
By the time of publication, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations had not publicly responded to the allegations raised by Kaguchia’s lawyer regarding access to the legislator or disclosed the specific offences, if any, under investigation.
