Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino was allegedly detained at the Wanguru Police cells in Kirinyaga County, almost 300 kilometers away from where he was arrested.
According to his wife, Fridah, after his arrest at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, on Tuesday night, Owino was sprinted to Wanguru police station in Kirinyaga and detained there.
He was not booked at the Occurance Book, his wife Fridah who visited the station on Wednesday night said.
She said police chased her out of the station after she arrived there seeking to see him.
“Let my husband be free as he has done nothing to be arrested. He is unwell and he deserves visitations by family and lawyers,” she pleaded.
It is not clear if he will be charged given he had been detained for more than 24 hours.
Officials said he and others who had been arrested would be presented before Kahawa West Law Courts in Kamiti to face charges there. The court usually handles terror-related cases.
Lawyers are expected in court to seek his and others' production amid protests that the era of detention without charge is creeping back.
More than ten other leaders were arrested in the protests that were called over the high cost of living and Finance Act 2023.
Among those arrested were Members of Parliament in Kilifi, Members of County Assembly and other party officials, former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga, and his brother Peter Kamunya among others.
Njenga was arrested from his father’s house in lower Matasia, Kiserian by more than 50 police officers who had been looking for him for the better part of the day.
It is not clear why he was arrested and taken away incommunicado amid efforts by his lawyers to trace him.
Police held most of the victims without allowing them to seek legal advise or family visitations.
Authorities said more than 300 people were arrested in the protests and would be presented in court.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the 300 were arrested in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and other towns where police clashed with protesters.
“They will be charged with various crimes, including looting, malicious damage of property, arson, robbery with violence, assaulting law enforcers among other crimes,” he said in a statement.
The statement did not however mention those shot dead or injured.
Azimio said the protests will continue Thursday, declaring “Kenyans should not give up.”
“We will continue with our peaceful demonstrations as planned. But we will stop at 5 pm today and resume tomorrow (Thursday) morning,” the coalition said.
