Activist Boniface Mwangi was Sunday traced to a police station hours after he was picked by police from his Machakos home.
He was traced to Kamukunji police station in Nairobi where he had been detained.
This was almost 50 kilometers from where he had been picked up by six men.
His family and friends had been worried about his whereabouts for hours before they found him at the police station.
His wife Njeri Mwangi who traced the activist to the station said police had accused him of inciting the public to cause violence.
“They are holding him over claims of incitement to violence. It is all about this marathon,” said Njeri.
It is not clear if he would be taken to court but his family and lawyers were making efforts to release him.
This came ahead of his planned protests at the Standard Chartered marathon, that took place on Sunday October 27.
The marathon went on uninterrupted amid heavy security.
Security was enhanced at the event with major roads blocked for those participating.
Police said they fear his followers would have infiltrated the event and cause violence.
There was no immediate comment from police on the move to pick and detain Mwangi.
Officials said the detention was the work of state agencies as a precautionary to forestall the planned protests.
Mwangi had called for protests at the marathon which raised concerns among the state security agencies and organizers.
There were fears the protests would ruin the image of the marathon and attract attention.
Mwangi had been mobilizing his followers to join the protest at the marathon as one way of expressing discontent about the country’s leadership.
This also prompted government affiliated social media users to launch an attack on him online. They branded him a traitor online ahead of the marathon.
Undeterred, Mwangi continued to mobilize for the protests.
“Will you show up to cheer friends at the Standard Chartered marathon? You are a crucial part of the race, your cheering will motivate and energise the athletes and help reform our country in the process.”
“This is how; adorn the national flag as part of your sports gear, wear hats with the national colours, wear a bandana with the message RutoMustGo, record protest chants and share online and bring a placard with your message to Ruto,” he said.
He told those who will participate in the event to protest message and post online and adopt the Kahongo song as your marathon chant and record any incidents of police brutality towards spectators and share online.
“Stay calm and peaceful and have fun!” Njeri Mwangi confirmed the incident in which the six men picked up Mwangi.
According to Njeri, the activist was picked up by unknown people on Sunday morning at around 7: 15 am.
“This morning at around 7.15, six uninformed people went to courage base and forcefully took my husband from the house. I have no idea who, why or where they have taken him,” Bonface Mwangi’s wife Njeri shared on social media.
A campaign was launched online to free Mwangi. This was shared widely among many social media enthusiasts.
Many condemned what they termed as increased spate of abductions by state agents.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
