Starehe MP Charles Kanyi Njagua aka Jaguar was arrested outside Parliament buildings over xenophobic remarks against Tanzanians and Ugandans on Wednesday afternoon.
He was taken to DCI headquarters to record a statement.
Detectives whisked Jaguar away using a South Sudan registered car Subaru.
While addressing traders in Gikomba market on Monday, Jaguar said:
On Wednesday morning, the government distanced itself from his remarks.
In a Statement, the ministry of foreign affairs said Jaguar’s remarks were unfortunate and meant to dehumanize foreign communities.
Jaguar was captured inciting the local community against foreigners in the video that went viral.
Foreign Affairs PS Macharia Kamau said Kenya deeply regrets the careless and inciteful language in public utterances made by the MP.
“We wish to take this opportunity to reassure all foreign nationals living and working in Kenya of their personal safety and also offer a firm guarantee of the security of their investments in Kenya” the PS said.
Starehe Constituency where Jaguar is the MP has several markets including Gikomba, Muthurwa and Wakulima market.
A good number of traders who sell second hand clothes in Gikomba Market come from Tanzania’s Chagga community.
The Chagga are the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania and live around Mt Kilimanjaro in Arusha.
Most of the onions, yellow beans, peas, oranges and other agricultural products sold at Wakulima market come from Arusha and Moshi in Tanzania.
Almost 80 percent of the fruits- a majority of them pineapples sold at Nairobis Wakulima market are from Ugandas Mbale and Tororo regions.
With a population of over 5 million people, Kenya’s fertile Limuru and Kiambu regions cannot feed Nairobi.
Residents of these areas have abandoned farming and embraced real estate.
Thus Nairobi will continue to rely on neighboring countries to supply its food, textile and other necessities.