Kenyans Back on the Streets Following Activist Morara Kebaso’s Arrest
Key takeaways
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- Protestors took to Nairobi’s streets for the first time since August to demand the release of popular activist Morara Kebaso.
- The harsh government critic was arrested by police from his operational headquarters in the Kahawa Sukari neighborhood on the outskirts of Nairobi city.
- Morara was driven to Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters before being handed over to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives in the dead of night.
- Simultaneously, public attention turned to Mombasa, where local blogger Bruce Chawa was reportedly assaulted by individuals linked to the governor.
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Lawyer Morara Kebaso traced to Milimani Law Courts amid public pressure
Thousands of Kenyans online were astonished as they viewed dashcam footage of high-speed chases involving various cars believed to be carrying city lawyer Morara Kebaso.
Morara was ferried in Subaru cars widely associated with the DCI, having been used in numerous sting operations conducted by the investigative agency.
Close associates, prominent bloggers, and Morara supporters broke the news of the activist’s arrest at his Kahawa Sukari Operational Headquarters.
While one officer flashed his ID during the Monday afternoon raid, the other civilian-dressed officers declined to reveal their identity as they bundled Morara from his offices to a waiting car.
What followed was an intense pursuit and tracing operation of Morara who was in the hands of masked armed men.
Morara’s associates sped off behind Morara’s captors and followed them to Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters. A snippet of the chase was recorded in one of the dashcam videos that have gone viral on social media.
Kenyans had another glimpse of Morara along the Thika Superhighway as he was being driven to the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road.
At one point in the video, the police convoy diverged in different directions in an attempt to lose anyone trailing them.
By this time, Kenya’s social space was awash with demands for Morara’s immediate release.
Frustrated Kenyans flocked to social media to voice their anger over what they described as ongoing repression of those seeking accountability from the authorities.
TikTok and X were particularly on fire as angry citizens mobilized for a mega protest on Tuesday 1st October.
With the well-known #OccupyCBD title, the protests are seen as the only way to ensure the government hears the people’s demands.
Kenyans crowd Nairobi’s streets, barricade city roads in protest against Morara’s arrest
True to their word, protestors marched into Nairobi’s Central Business District to demand justice for Morara and sexually assaulted Mombasa blogger Bruce Chawa.
Pockets of protestors started streaming on major city avenues chanting in support of detained activist Morara Kebaso Snr.
The action was shortly after directed to the imposing Milimani Law Courts building where Morara Kebaso has been arraigned.
Protestors immediately swarmed the court building with “Free Kebaso” and “Free Morara” chants causing monetary confusion at the busy court building.
Lawyers, led by Senior Counsel Martha Karua and Ndegwa Njiru, spoke to the press and Kebaso’s supporters, voicing their concerns about the charge sheet that had not been provided to them.
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Morara calls for the arrest of Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir
Moments before his arrest, Morara read out a press statement about a reported sodomy case of a Mombasa blogger.
The lawyer threatened to drop all his activities and lead a mega protest to compel the police to take action.
Blogger Bruce John Chawa was abducted from his house by a group of men some in motorbikes supposedly to meet the governor at a location in Mombasa.
According to his handlers, Bruce was to meet the governor to ask for forgiveness for insulting him, his wife, and his mother.
In a shocking twist of events, Bruce was gang-raped by a group of men who recorded it in a video that has since gone viral.
Bruce’s detailed account of the horrific incident touched many, with some admitting they shed tears.
Hon. Abdullswamad has already spoken to the press on the matter where he vehemently denied involvement.
The governor emphasized that his mother was subjected to unprovoked insults, and he and his family chose not to take action against the blogger.
Despite the governor’s address the #JusticeForBruce hashtag trends alongside #FreeMorara, as protestors bring business in Kenya’s capital to a standstill.
The Thika Superhighway and other areas of the city have been temporarily blocked as frustrated citizens demand an end to intimidation and call for government accountability.
