Kenyan police on Monday arrested Senator Okiya Omtatah and ten others during protests in Nairobi against abductions and enforced disappearances of critics of President William Ruto’s government.
The demonstrators were taken to Central Police Station as protests spread to other parts of the country, including Mombasa, Embu, and Kitengela.
In Nairobi, police clamped down on protests along Aga Khan Walk and at the junction of Moi Avenue and Kenyatta Avenue, firing tear gas to disperse protesters.
Businesses hurriedly closed their doors as fears of looting grew amid the chaos. Protesters, carrying placards with names of alleged victims, claimed they were peaceful and had notified the police of their intentions, as required by law.
Protests in Embu also turned chaotic as residents demonstrated against the abduction of 24-year-old student Billy Munyiri Mwangi, who was seized by hooded men in a white pickup on December 21.
Witnesses reported that the men, believed to be government agents, bundled Mwangi into the vehicle and drove off. His family has since been left in anguish, demanding his safe return.
“I want my son back home alive. And if he has done anything wrong I’m ready to apologise on his behalf,” pleaded Mwangi’s mother, Regina Wairimu, as she tearfully recounted the ordeal.
In Mombasa, police arrested human rights activists, including Hussein Khalid and Lydia Adhiambo, as they gathered at Uhuru Gardens to protest. County commander Peter Kimani dismissed their actions as baseless, claiming no abductions had occurred in the region and urging them to protest in Nairobi instead.
Meanwhile, in Kitengela, police heightened security with roadblocks and aerial surveillance to prevent disturbances. Heavily armed officers inspected vehicles entering the town, with authorities vowing to thwart any imported violence.
