Sakaja Denies Association With Goons Who Partnered With Police During Protests

Nairobi County has strongly denied any association with the individuals who disrupted Tuesday’s protests, asserting that the property destruction and looting witnessed were the acts of criminals, not peaceful demonstrators.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Governor Johnson Sakaja claimed that those responsible for the violence were brought in from outside Nairobi and have no place in the city’s democratic process.

Tuesday’s demonstrations, sparked by public outrage over the killing of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang’, turned violent when individuals suspected of being state-linked thugs joined police in confronting protesters in the CBD. Protesters had also demanded the arrest of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat.

By 11:00 AM, demonstrators marching towards Central Police Station encountered a group of unruly youths armed with batons near Jevanjee Gardens. Witnesses reported that these youths worked alongside police officers to block the protesters.

“They are making it hard for us to do business because they come here and loot and rob people. We don’t want them to do that. If they want to protest, let them do so peacefully,” one of the armed youths stated.

Shortly after, the same group was seen urging police to support them as they pelted stones at the protesters. Police responded by lobbing tear gas canisters, escalating the chaos.

The situation quickly worsened, with several of the thugs seen mugging passers-by in Nairobi’s backstreets. Some rode motorbikes, while others chanted political slogans such as “Heshimu President, achana na Ruto” (respect the president, leave Ruto alone), revealing a clear partisan agenda that cast doubt on their spontaneity.

A disturbing incident occurred outside Imenti House on Moi Avenue, where a young man was cornered by two police officers and shot moments later, as onlookers watched in horror.

By 3:00 PM, most peaceful protesters had withdrawn from the streets, leaving the thugs to continue roaming the city center unchecked. In one video, the group was seen outside Nairobi’s City Hall, chanting, “Sakaja tumelinda jiji” (Sakaja, we have protected the city), appearing to declare allegiance to the governor.

However, Sakaja unequivocally rejected any association with such groups, condemning their involvement and criminal conduct.

“We categorically dissociate ourselves from any gangs, militias, or politically sponsored groups that exploit demonstrations to engage in criminal activity,” he said.

The governor warned against using peaceful protests as a cover for lawlessness and urged police to take firm and fair action against all those responsible for looting and violence.

“These are criminal actions punishable by law and must be condemned by every peace-loving citizen. I call upon the National Police Service to act with firmness and fairness to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those responsible for acts of violence, vandalism, and theft,” he stated.

Sakaja reminded citizens that the right to protest, enshrined in Article 37 of the Constitution, must be exercised peacefully and without infringing on the rights of others.