LSK president Kanjama demands release of blogger in MP’s bad books
Vincent Odhiambo was picked by officers from Parliament Police Station following complaints filed by an MP.
Friends and family of Vincent Odhiambo Opiyo, a Kisumu-based blogger, are demanding his release following his arrest on Thursday by DCI officers.
According to Cahill Oreda and Cleophas Owuor, who were with Mr Opiyo at the time, detectives entered one of the printing shops where he was working and quickly forced him into a Subaru vehicle.
They said the officers did not inform him of the arrest or disclose his destination, leaving them frightened and uncertain about his safety.
It has emerged that the detectives involved were from the Parliament Police Station and were acting on complaints filed by Elisha Ochieng Odhiambo, the Gem Member of Parliament.
While seeking his release, the president elect of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Charles Kanjama, accompanied by Mr Opiyo’s lawyer Ouma Oscar, criticised the arrest as harassment targeting bloggers in the country.
“We treat this as a form of harassment. Of course, he is being charged with cyber harassment, but harassment of this kind is also unacceptable,” Mr Kanjama said, noting that the blogger was properly booked in the occurrence book, which indicates that the correct procedure was partially followed.
“Our effort is to ensure that the police act promptly so that individuals can access their right to be released on cash bail even as investigations continue,” he added.
The LSK boss further condemned the use of police by legislators to target dissenting voices.
“No one not a parliamentarian or any senior officer in Kenya should abuse police powers to harass citizens. Complaints made to the police should be treated like those of any other Kenyan, without granting special privileges that intimidate people in the communities,” Mr Kanjama said.
Law Society of Kenya president Charles Kanjama during an interview at his office in Nairobi on February 24, 2026.
Mr Oreda, who was with Mr Opiyo during the arrest, said they were worried about the suspect’s safety since he was picked up without being informed where he was being taken.
“The connection with the Parliament Police Station is becoming a headache because reaching them has been difficult,” he said.
The matter comes amid ongoing investigations into the death of the late teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi in June 2025 after being arrested in Homa Bay. Ojwang had allegedly posted derogatory comments about a police official, sparking nationwide outrage.
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