Jayne Kihara: Govt atrocities against opposition are making us stronger
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 22, 2025Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has said that the actions being taken by the government against the opposition are only strengthening their resolve.
Speaking during an interview on K24 TV Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Kihara pointed out that being targeted by the state for simply showing up in public spaces was becoming common. She maintained that opposition leaders are now more determined in the face of arrests and intimidation.
“We being in places is a problem to them; they are hardening us. If I am told to go to the cell as I did 10 times, that is a political hazard. I am a politician. If the owners of government feel that I should be in a cell, I will go.” Kihara stated.
The lawmaker, who was recently arrested and held in police custody for a day, stated that such encounters are part of the political cost leaders must be prepared to face. She noted that continued pressure from the state was only building greater resistance within the opposition.
During the same interview, she went on to share the ordeal of the day she spent a night behind bars.
Kihara revealed that she was placed alone in a cell without a seat, spending the night isolated. While she tried to maintain a light tone during the interview—joking that she was “the only criminal in that cell”—she declined to go into further details about the circumstances surrounding her detention.
However, she was clear in her view that the arrest was not a coincidence but politically driven. Without naming names, Kihara suggested that her political stand had made her a target, and her apprehension was part of a broader pattern of silencing dissent within the current regime.
“There was no seat. I was the only woman in that cell; I was the only criminal in that cell, but my incarceration was purely political,” Kihara said.
Her concerns
When asked whether she regrets supporting the administration she now believes is behind her arrest, the Naivasha MP admitted feeling disappointed but stood by her decision. She stated that she wasn’t shaken by the incident, only angered by the fact that there was no legitimate reason for her arrest.
Kihara noted that during the 2022 elections, she had only two choices and made the decision she believed was best at the time. She added that while she does not regret her choice, she feels let down by the outcome. According to her, the expectations she had when supporting the current leadership have not been met.
“I was not shaken. I was just angry because there was no reason, completely, but I don’t regret it because of the two candidates. I had to choose one. The only thing I know is that I have been let down because what I expected is not what I am getting,” she added.