Police have arrested a 17-year-old youth captured in a viral video desecrating the Kenyan flag during a football match at Nyayo Stadium.
In a statement on Thursday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that Ibrahim Haidar Yusuf, one of the individuals wanted over the incident, had been apprehended. The act took place on September 20, 2025, during a match between Mogadishu City Club and Police FC.
The viral clips showed two individuals stomping, kicking, and mocking the national flag, sparking public outrage and condemnation both online and at the stadium.
“This act is unlawful and deeply offensive to the values we uphold as a nation. Efforts to arrest the remaining suspect, who is believed to be in the country, are ongoing,” the DCI said.
According to Section 2B of the National Flag, Emblems and Names Act, Cap 99, anyone who shows disrespect to the national flag, anthem, or specified emblems commits an offence.
The incident prompted Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to order the immediate arrest, prosecution, and possible deportation of the culprits if they are foreigners. Murkomen described the act as “unfortunate and unacceptable.”
Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, also denounced the actions, distancing his country from the conduct of the Mogadishu City FC fans.
In one of the widely shared clips, the youths are seen spreading the flag on the ground, kicking it, and rubbing it against their bodies as they laughed. Another video showed a Somali fan snatching a flag from a Police FC supporter before tossing it casually to the ground.
The arrest comes as security agencies continue investigations, with calls for decisive action to deter similar acts of disrespect in the future.
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