Anti-abduction protests in Nairobi turn dramatic

NAIROBI: Anti-abduction protests in Nairobi on Monday took a dramatic turn when Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah and a group of protesters used a heavy-duty metal chain to block an arrest by police officers deployed to control the crowd.

Omtatah had joined dozens of Kenyans in the central business district, demanding the release of abducted youths. As they chanted anti-abduction slogans, the group called for the unconditional release of those missing.

The senator was seen holding a booklet of the Constitution of Kenya while chanting with other protesters.

Earlier, dozens of police officers were deployed across various Nairobi streets to monitor the planned protests against abductions and enforced disappearances. Police headquarters instructed officers not to disrupt the protests unless explicitly ordered.

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By 9 a.m., a few protesters had gathered on Nairobi’s streets. Human rights organizations, lobby groups, youth, and survivors of this year’s abductions had announced that the nationwide demonstrations would proceed in all 47 counties.

The protests aim to pressure the government to release the abducted individuals, end arbitrary arrests, and address demands made by Generation Z in June. The recent surge in abductions—over 10 in December alone and more than 80 this year—has sparked widespread outrage in Kenya.