Activist Arrested During Saba Saba Court Hearing at Thika Law Courts
There was intense drama on Wednesday, July 16, at the Thika Law Courts after a well-known activist was suddenly arrested by police officers while court proceedings were ongoing.
According to a video shared by Kenyans.co.ke, the activist, known online by his X handle @Its_Bahaa, was forcefully taken away by a group of officers. The arrest appeared abrupt and unexplained, as the police did not immediately disclose the reason for detaining him.
Bahaa is widely recognized for speaking out against police brutality, especially on social media platforms. On this day, he had gone to Thika Law Courts to show his support for a group of young people who were facing charges related to the violence witnessed during the Saba Saba protests.
As the court session progressed, the police approached Bahaa and asked him to accompany them. The unexpected move caused tension in the courtroom, with several people questioning out loud why the activist was being arrested during the hearing.
Shortly after the incident, Bahaa confirmed his arrest through a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I have been arrested inside Thika Law Courts, currently being held at Thika Police Station.”
This was not Bahaa’s first act of solidarity with youth involved in the Saba Saba protests. Just a day earlier, on Tuesday, he had also attended a hearing at the Kahawa Law Courts along with other activists.
There, eight young people from Homa Bay County had been charged with terrorism. These charges stemmed from the alleged burning of Mawego Police Station during the funeral of the late blogger Albert Ojwang’.
The eight pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded at Kamiti Maximum Prison as they awaited further court proceedings.
In a related development, another activist named Hanifa said that the youths brought before the Thika Law Courts were facing charges of robbery with violence.
Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, on Tuesday, gave an update on the number of arrests linked to a series of anti-government protests that took place between June 17 and July 7, 2025.
According to CS Murkomen, police had arrested around 1,500 individuals by July 15. Out of these, 50 were being investigated for serious criminal offences, while another 71 were being reviewed under anti-terrorism measures.
In recent months, the Kenyan government has increased its crackdown on activists, accusing some of them of encouraging violent acts during public protests.
Just last week, a businessman who is also a TikTok content creator was taken into custody for allegedly posting a video that incited violence against police officers. However, he was later released on a police bond of Ksh10,000.
This latest wave of arrests and court cases has drawn growing concern from civil society groups, who view it as an attempt to silence dissent and discourage public participation in peaceful protests.
Join Gen Z & Millennials New WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
