Naivasha: The Member of Parliament (MP) for Naivasha, Jane Kihara, on Thursday morning found herself in fresh controversy after auctioneers, accompanied by armed police officers, raided her rural home in Maraigushu, Naivasha, and seized a vehicle and more than 100 goats and sheep. The seizure is linked to a Sh7.5 million court award arising from a 2008 election petition filed against former Naivasha MP John Mututho which she lost after the court ruled in favor of Mututho.
According to Kenya News Agency, Kihara reported that the auctioneers arrived at her residence at dawn, enforcing a court order related to the long-running dispute and carted away one of her personal vehicles and 127 goats and sheep, which she said belonged to her son. She expressed that the area OCS had informed her of the pressure to enforce the order and argued that she should be present during its execution. Kihara lamented that some livestock was stolen by hired youths accompanying the auctioneers during the raid.
Last year, High Court Justice Julius Nangea sitting in Nakuru allowed Mututho to seek an auctioneer's hammer to gain entry to the MP's home in Maraigushu area and execute the order to recoup the defaulted cost settlement. The MP, who has since broken ties with the government, stated that she has already lodged an appeal but noted that her requests for stay orders to halt the execution were dismissed.
The legislator suggested that the move was politically motivated, accusing the government of intimidation following her recent criticism of President William Ruto's administration. Earlier this week, Kihara alleged that a section of Kenya Railways land in Naivasha had been irregularly acquired for mall construction by individuals close to the President.
Local leaders, including Nakuru Members of County Assembly (MCAs), visited Kihara to express solidarity, denouncing the operation as inhumane and disrespectful of Kikuyu cultural values, which traditionally regard livestock as a sacred family asset. Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja criticized Mututho, noting that in Kikuyu tradition and customs, livestock should never be auctioned, suggesting the move aimed to humiliate the vocal MP.
His Lakeview counterpart Alex Mbugua questioned the process by which the auctioneers obtained a court order while an appeal case was reportedly pending before the Court of Appeal. Mbugua labeled the event as an example of government impunity and affirmed support for Kihara against State agency intimidation.
Molo Town MCA Joseph Ngware encouraged Kihara to remain steadfast, characterizing the raid as part of a wider pattern of political harassment targeting dissenting voices. The dispute between Kihara and Mututho dates back to the 2007 General Election, where Kihara unsuccessfully challenged Mututho's victory in court and was ordered to pay part of the petition and legal costs amounting to Sh7.5 million. However, enforcement of the award has remained contentious, with Kihara asserting that an appeal against the decision was still active.
This latest development comes barely a month after anti-riot police disrupted a meeting at Kihara's residence, citing security concerns, an event her allies viewed as part of an ongoing standoff between her and the government.