On Tuesday, June 24 a day before the anticipated anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z protests, Mombasa-based TikToker Geoffrey Chesoni found himself at the centre of a harrowing abduction.
Mr Chesoni had planned to join fellow Kenyans in marking the day through protests in Mombasa City.
However, his intentions were abruptly cut short when while at Bunge la Wananchi meeting near Splendid Hotel in Mombasa town, he was abducted.
According to him, seven men believed to be plainclothes police officers stormed the area brandishing firearms and firing shots into the air.
Amid the chaos, they seized him and forced him into a dark blue Subaru.
An injured protester is assisted by members of the public during the anti-Finance Bill protests in Mombasa June 25, 2024.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
“The 4.30pm incident was chaotic. The people who arrested me did not identify themselves as police officers. They came like gangsters and I tried to run for my life but they had already identified and cornered me,” he said.
He added, “Later, I realised they had been watching me all along at Bunge la Wananchi. It was only a matter of when they would make their move. They fired in the air to disperse the crowd, then forced me into the boot of the vehicle and drove me to Voi.”
Mr Chesoni described a traumatic ordeal in a forest near Voi where his abductors allegedly threatened to kill him and leave his body for wild animals.
“I was mentally broken when they threw me out of the car and threatened to abandon me in the bush. They told me I should never fight the government again—that it was my last day alive,” he said.
He recounted that during the 26 hours he was held, the men interrogated him, accusing him of being funded to incite rebellion against the government.
Mombasa TikToker Geoffrey Chesoni at his home in Mombasa City. He was abducted by the police ahead of June 25, 2025 protests and detained for over 25 hours before being released.
Photo credit: Pool
They repeatedly mentioned activist Albert Ojwang’s name and demanded to know who was financing their activities.
“They think online influencers are being paid to do this but in reality, no one sponsors me. No one has ever paid me. The TikTok clip I made came from my own conscience,” Mr Chesoni said.
A recent hotel management certificate graduate, he also manages a breakdown vehicle and owns a tuk-tuk. He said he suffered both physical and psychological torture during the ordeal.
He claimed the captors who eventually showed him police job cards told him he was being arrested because of a TikTok video he had posted.
“In the video, I said that on June 25 we would join others and march to State House to remove President William Ruto. I told them if I had committed a crime, they should charge me in Mombasa, but they said they would take me to State House instead,” he said.
After a short stay in the Voi forest, the group made several phone calls, put him back into the vehicle’s boot and drove him back to Mombasa.
“We arrived in Mombasa around 2am and they took me to Mbaraki Police Station but I was not booked. Shortly after, they transferred me to the regional police station where they held me until Wednesday evening when the protests ended. Then they released me and warned me not to speak about what had happened,” he said.
Now, Mr Chesoni says he lives in fear and rarely leaves his house. He said he is seeking a safe haven.
“I do not know what will happen after this interview. They told me if I want to live a good life, I should avoid politics, speak positively about the government and stay away from the media. They warned that if they hear my voice on social media or anywhere else, they will come for me,” he said.
“I want to leave this country until after the next elections as my life has completely changed. I will not speak against the government again because I value my life. Right now, I believe my phone is tapped. My WhatsApp calls often do not go through,” he said.
However, police in Mombasa denied any involvement in the abduction condemning the act and suggesting it may have been a move to tarnish the reputation of the police.
Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno said the incident has been taken up by investigative agencies.
“We are not aware of that as the police. We do not know the people behind it but we are investigating to establish the truth behind it,” said Mr Nuno.
“I will also sit down with him and talk to him to understand exactly what happened. I will get to the bottom of the matter,” he added.
