A team of armed police officers on Tuesday raided the home of Patrick Osoi, a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Special Forces soldier and U.S.
Army veteran, arresting him over accusations of attempting to rally ex-security officers into an anti-government political movement.
Osoi had recently made headlines after launching a civil rights group known as Fighting Brutality and Impunity (FBI), which seeks to challenge police brutality and support officers who have faced victimization for defying illegal orders.
His arrest has triggered widespread concern, especially among human rights defenders and his growing base of supporters.
According to a statement issued by Osoi’s communications team, the arrest was carried out by a heavily armed group of men and was described as an “abduction”.
“Free Patrick Osoi!! His Excellency Patrick Osoi was abducted last night by a heavily armed contingent. The reason for his arrest remains unclear,” the statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account read.
By Wednesday morning, his team confirmed that he was being held at Muthaiga Police Station. Authorities revealed that Osoi is facing charges related to preparation to commit a felony.
Before his arrest, Osoi had issued a bold statement explaining the mission of the FBI movement. He said the initiative was created to protect and give a voice to victims of extrajudicial killings, as well as to offer support to former officers who were punished for standing up against unlawful orders from their superiors.
“After serving as a KDF Special Forces soldier, an NIS officer, and later as a U.S. Army veteran, I made a personal decision to start a movement called Fighting Brutality and Impunity (FBI),” Osoi wrote in a post.
He revealed that the group was composed of former military, intelligence, police, and prison officers who were either dismissed or suspended after refusing to participate in illegal activities, including the suppression of protesters during anti-government demonstrations.
“We are fighting for every Kenyan who has suffered abuse at the hands of rogue police officers, for families who have lost loved ones through unlawful killings, and for our fellow officers who were abandoned after doing the right thing,” he declared.
Osoi also shared a deeply emotional message, stating that he was fully aware of the risks that come with activism.
“I would rather die with my head held high than live as a modern-day slave. The truth cannot be silenced by intimidation. No walls are high enough to hold back a people who refuse to bow,” he said.
Among those who had joined Osoi’s cause was Police Constable Hiram Kimathi, who openly resisted a transfer order after he defied what he described as an illegal ‘shoot to kill’ directive from his bosses.
Kimathi posted on social media that he had been abruptly transferred from Kyumbi Police Station, near Machakos Junction, to Todonyang Police Station, located in a remote area near the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
Osoi had also enlisted the support of Jackson Kuria Kihara, popularly known as Cop Shakur, a prison officer who was suspended after he participated in the anti-Finance Bill protests in June 2025. He, too, was later arrested for his involvement in the demonstrations.
Osoi’s arrest has come at a time when public anxiety is growing over how the state handles dissent and criticism. Human rights organisations have raised serious concerns about enforced disappearances, increased surveillance, and the silencing of outspoken individuals who challenge the system.
The incident has sparked fresh debate about freedom of expression, accountability within the security forces, and the space available for activism in the country. As his supporters demand his immediate release, many are closely watching how the government responds to these rising calls for justice and reform.
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