"Senator John Methu finally arrested and handcuffed. He will be transferred to Kisumu Central police station before taken to court," reads a Facebook post published on April 13, 2026.
Featured is an image showing Methu standing with a group of men, seemingly in a confrontation with a police officer.
Similar claims circulated on X the same day alongside a different image showing a lobbed teargas canister from what appears to be the same scene.
"BREAKING NEWS: Tension high in Nyandarua as Senator John Methu on the run from members of the elite police unit who want to arrest him. Running battles ongoing as the senator is seen running helter skelter without security who have been withdrawn by Kipchumba Murkomen," reads the post.
Both photos were shared with similar claims elsewhere on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
The claim emerged amid heightened concerns about the safety of government critics following the 2024 anti-finance bill protests, after which rights groups documented arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and intimidation (archived here).
On April 8, 2026, Methu publicly confronted Ruto during the requiem mass of Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho in Nyandarua County (archived here ).
During his address, Methu criticised delays to key infrastructure projects and told the president: "I respect you as the president and Commander in Chief...but I do not fear you."
In a Citizen TV interview four days later, Methu said he had no regrets about the remarks...
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