Eric Omondi Arrested During Nairobi CBD Protest
Comedian-turned-activist Eric Omondi has been arrested in Nairobi CBD while leading a peaceful protest calling for major changes to Kenya’s governance structure.
Omondi was arrested on Monday, September 7, by plain-clothes police officers at the Nairobi National Archives. The arrest reportedly happened without any confrontation or resistance.
Footage seen by Newshub.co.ke shows one of the officers handcuffing Omondi before escorting him to a waiting police vehicle. As he was being arrested, Omondi could be heard asking the officers why he was being taken into custody and what offence he had committed. However, the officers did not immediately respond to his questions.
Before his arrest, Omondi had been holding a peaceful demonstration at the National Archives, where he was pushing for significant changes to the country’s current governance system.
Among his main demands is a reduction in the number of counties in Kenya from the current 47 to just eight regions. He argues that the country could return to the former eight-region administrative structure as part of efforts to reduce the cost of running government.
Omondi is also calling for the abolition of the Senate and the position of Women Representatives in the National Assembly.
In addition, the activist wants the government to scrap nominated positions and reduce the number of Members of County Assemblies (MCAs).
During the protest, Omondi was heard listing his demands, saying Kenya should reduce the number of counties from 47 to eight, remove nominated members, abolish the Senate, scrap the Women Representatives’ positions and reduce the number of MCAs.
According to Omondi, devolution was introduced with a good intention and was meant to bring government services and development closer to the people. However, he argues that the system has become too expensive to maintain and has placed an additional financial burden on ordinary Kenyans.
He claims that taxpayers are being forced to pay high taxes to finance the salaries and benefits of the large number of elected and nominated leaders serving at both the national and county levels.
Omondi is now urging Kenyans who support his proposal to visit the National Archives and sign a petition supporting the proposed changes. He intends to collect the signatures and eventually submit the petition to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as part of efforts to push for a referendum.
The exact location where Omondi was taken after his arrest remains unclear. Police had not immediately provided detailed information about the reason for his arrest or his current whereabouts. Further details are expected as authorities issue a statement regarding the matter.
Omondi’s latest arrest is not his first encounter with police officers over his activism and public protests.
In June 2026, the comedian was reportedly arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after leading a protest against rising fuel prices. At the time, he and other protesters had used yellow vests as part of their demonstration along the road.
He has also previously been arrested over his involvement in protests against government policies. In 2024, Omondi was arrested outside Parliament buildings while taking part in demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024.
His latest arrest comes as he continues to use his public platform to campaign for what he describes as major reforms in Kenya’s political and governance system.
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