Laikipia Woman Rep Catherine Waruguru arrested in Nanyuki

Laikipia Woman Rep. Catherine Waruguru and Nanyuki OCS Ali Abdi at Vineyard Hotel in Nanyuki where she had been detained by police officers. (Jacinta Mutura, Standard)

Laikipia Women Representative Catherine Waruguru was Friday arrested shortly after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i addressed journalists at a Nanyuki hotel.

The legislator was arrested for allegedly inciting operators of the banned Probox and Sienta vehicles, popularly used for public transportation- to demonstrate over police harassment.

The MP was arrested by two police women in the company of other police officers who whisked her into a police vehicle and took her to Nanyuki Police Station.

The officers had positioned themselves outside the hotel and shortly after Matiang’i briefed journalists on what they had discussed with local leaders, the woman representative was arrested.

Earlier in the day, Waruguru and her two employees had been detained at another restaurant in Nanyuki where the police officers blocked her vehicle from leaving the facility, again for alleged incitements.

She was, however, released from Vineyard Hotel an hour later and joined other leaders who were with the Interior CS.

Before the police officers allowed the vehicle to leave the hotel, she told journalists that she had been invited by the vehicle operators who claimed that they were being harassed by police in Nanyuki.

"I just came to listen to their issues and police officers were came for me. They have seized my employee's camera. My vehicle has been blocked and I cannot leave here," said Waruguru.

She however sought the intervention of county commissioner Onesmus Kyatha but he snubbed her leaving her at the mercy of the police officers.

Waruguru has been pushing to have the operators allowed to operate within Nanyuki town despite the National Transport Service Authority's (NTSA) banning the vehicles from operating as public service vehicles.

During his visit Dr Matiang'i said the meeting with Laikipia elected leaders and leaders in transport sector agreed on how the Probox and Sienta vehicles would be operating.