Activist Boniface Mwangi was among protestors arrested late Tuesday evening while leading demonstrations against the contentious Finance Bill, 2024.
Close to 200 people were arrested in the protests. However, most of them were released unconditionally, police said.
Mwangi and a group of about five other protesters were arrested outside Parliament buildings where they had chained themselves to a cart carrying a giant symbolic briefcase written ‘Finance Bill’ complete with the Kenyan coat of arms.
They were bundled to a police vehicle and driven to Kamukunji police station where they were locked up.
Their lawyers and relatives followed them there in efforts to release them from custody.
They were still being held at 11pm amid efforts for their release.
The group had brought the cart to the Nairobi Central Business District while wrapped aboard a lorry, before hauling it across the streets while chanting “People power, people power!”
Anti riot police had been on their trail for a while.
They were intercepted by armed police officers, who accused them of being “criminals” just a few metres to Parliament where they were headed.
Mwangi told the officers they were protesting for them to ensure their lives are better.
Mwangi was among the leaders and organizers of the protest dubbed “Occupy Parliament” which was aimed at opposing the Finance Bill 2024.
He was a marked man for the better part of the day Tuesday.
Police raided his private office along Ngong Road and took away some of his staff who were however not participating in the protests.
Police said most of the people arrested on Tuesday over the protests were released. The larger group that was detained at Central police station was released unconditionally. This was out of an order that was issued from what police termed as above.
A group of lawyers and relatives of those detained had camped at Central police station forcing police to disperse them at times using teargas canisters. This attracted condemnation.
A relative of Mwangi said he and his colleagues were being detained at Kamukunji cells over claims of resisting arrest.
Chaos reigned the city center for the better part of Tuesday as groups protested the proposed taxes in the Finance Bill 2024. They demanded the bill be dropped.
Police responded with teargas canisters dispersing the protesters.
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