The High Court in Naivasha has barred the Director of Criminal Investigations and the National Police Service from arresting or detaining Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha, granting him anticipatory bail as he faces investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the DCI.
Justice C.W. Githua issued the orders on August 18 after Badilisha moved to court seeking protection from arrest. The court certified the application as urgent, directed that it be served on the respondents, and gave them seven days to file responses. The matter is scheduled for mention on September 3, 2026, at 11 a.m. Pending that hearing, the court restrained the DCI and police from detaining the governor at any station.
The ruling follows weeks of reported attempts to arrest Badilisha and comes days after his high-profile defection from the ruling United Democratic Alliance to the Democracy for Citizens Party, led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Gachagua announced the governor’s move alongside the entire Nyandarua County Assembly leadership, describing it as a significant boost for DCP ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“I am delighted to receive Governor Kiarie Badilisha of Nyandarua County and the entire County Assembly into the DCP Party,” Gachagua said. “They have assured me that they will defend their seats on DCP Party tickets, and they shall form part of the aspirants in the party primaries next year. I have assured them that the party primaries will be free and fair.”
Gachagua framed the defection as part of a broader political realignment, stating that Nyandarua leaders had aligned themselves with what he called a national liberation movement. “The people of Nyandarua County, led by their Governor, have brought a message of goodwill from the people of Nyandarua County; they are answering the call for the liberation of Kenya,” he said. He added that DCP’s support was growing as more leaders abandoned the ruling party. “The mass exodus from unpopular parties, notably the infamous UDA, continues. God Bless Kenya,” Gachagua said.
Badilisha’s crossing follows a similar move by Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, who joined DCP after initially leaving UDA for the Linda Mwananchi movement. Gachagua has pointed to DCP’s victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election as evidence of the party’s growing momentum in the Mount Kenya region.
For Badilisha, the immediate focus remains the legal shield against arrest as the investigations and court proceedings continue.
