Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has been arrested as police investigate him over the destruction of Kibwari tea estate, which is said to be on a grabbed piece of land.
On Friday and Saturday the governor had led residents to the tea estate linked to former minister Henry Kosgey to forcefully clear the tea bushes.
The county boss was summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to record a statement.
He arrived at the Kapsabet offices at 12pm but after an hour, he was forced out and bundled into one of the DCI vehicles waiting outside that sped off towards Kisumu.
Police lobbed teargas to disperse the surging protesting crowd that had followed Mr Sang to Kapsabet Police Station after some tried to prevent officers from bundling him into the car.
Before walking heading to the station, the governor had addressed hundreds of supporters and county workers who had gathered outside his offices in Kapsabet town assuring them that he would not relent in his quest to reclaim community land in the hands of grabbers.
“I promised you that all the land belonging to the public will be reclaimed if I am elected governor. This is not the first one as we have reclaimed other pieces in Kapsabet town. It will not be the last one. All the land grabbed by those in power will be returned to the public,” Mr Sang said.
The Kibwari tea estate is associated with Mr Kosgey who lost to Mr Sang in the last gubernatorial race.
The governor was driven to DCI offices in Kisumu where he is expected to be interrogated further.
It was not immediately clear why the Jubilee county leader was taken to the lakeside city but it is believed police made the move on security grounds, given the threat posed by his supporters.