MOMBASA, KENYA — Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya narrowly avoided apprehension at a Mombasa hotel on Saturday night, May 10, 2025, after residents intervened when plainclothes police officers attempted to take him into custody.
Videos shared across social media platforms depicted several armed individuals, identified by the MP as police officers, wearing plain clothes and masks at the hotel where Salasya was lodging.
Speaking shortly after the incident, Salasya stated that the men claiming to be police officers failed to produce any form of identification or a warrant for his arrest.
The MP further noted that their vehicle lacked number plates, which heightened suspicions surrounding the attempted arrest.
One of the videos shared by Salasya captured a confrontation between the officers and his supporters during his escape. This incident occurred just days after the first-term MP announced his intention to run for president in the 2027 general elections.
On Saturday, prior to the hotel incident, Salasya had taken his presidential campaign to Malindi town in Kilifi County, where he accused the current government of marginalizing the youth.
Addressing a roadside rally in the Kwa Chocha area of Malindi, the outspoken MP asserted that over four million Kenyan youth were unemployed due to ineffective government policies and corruption perpetuated by the established political class. He urged the youth in Kilifi to support his bid for quality leadership in the upcoming 2027 elections.
However, the reason behind the attempted arrest remains unclear.
In a statement posted on X, the MP denounced the attempted arrest as unconstitutional, reckless, shameful, and cowardly.
“I want to categorically condemn the reckless, shameful, and cowardly attempt by unidentified individuals purporting to be police officers who stormed my hotel residence in Mombasa earlier today to unlawfully arrest me,” he stated.
“Let it be clear, this was not an arrest. It was a criminal act disguised as law enforcement. An attack not just on me as a Member of Parliament and 2027 presidential candidate, but on the democratic space of this nation,” he added.
Salasya has since called upon law enforcement authorities to conduct an investigation to identify the individual (s) who issued the order for his attempted arrest.
