Turkana South MP John Ariko arrested

Turkana South Member of Parliament John Ariko.

Turkana South Member of Parliament John Ariko has been arrested in Eldoret, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has claimed.  

In a statement on Thursday evening, ODM alleged that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested Ariko on Wednesday night. 

“DCI officers in Eldoret have this evening arrested Turkana South MP John Ariko, our National Vice Chairman, without any explanation. He is being held at the Central Police Station in Eldoret town,” the party said.  

ODM has called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to address the matter urgently.  

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over alleged arbitrary arrests and abductions in the country.  

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has  raised alarm over the increasing cases of abductions, reporting 13 new incidents in the past three months. This brings the total number of cases since June to 82.  

“Seven of the recent abduction cases were reported in December 2024, with six victims still missing. This raises the number of persons unaccounted for since June to 29,” KNCHR said in a statement.  

The commission also disputed a statement made by police IG Kanja yesterday, in which he denied police involvement in the abductions.  

Meanwhile, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations  to determine whether law enforcement officers are linked to the disappearances.