Return of the dark days: Youths on X sound alarm over intimidation

Youth across the country who have been actively engaged in the #RejectFinanceBill2024 are raising the alarm about intimidation.

For most of the afternoon of Friday, June 21, young users of X and Tiktok posted concerns about friends and themselves being abducted by unknown persons, in what appears to be a return to the old dark days of the Moi era when people who disagreed with the government either disappeared or were tortured and sometimes killed.

Distraught youths are posting and reposting incidents of people they know being taken away.

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Activist Boniface Mwangi posted on his X account that unknown assailants had tried to abduct him while he was at the City Mortuary in Nairobi. Mr Mwangi later told his followers that he would be offline to avoid arrest.
 
In a video clip posted by lawyer James Wa Njeri, Mr Mwangi is seen sitting outside City Mortuary when a green Subaru approaches the gates of the funeral home. He is then seen running towards City Mortuary.
 
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga said the activist was being sought by police officers.
 

 
As of 5 pm, lawyers representing comedian Erick Omondi and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said they had been unable to locate him after he was whisked away by police officers outside Parliament where he was holding a peaceful demonstration.
 
His lawyer, Ian Mutiso, said efforts to locate Mr Omondi at the police station had proved futile.
 
 "We called the regional Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and they told us to ask at the police station. The OCS also says that Erick Omondi has not been brought here. Who is this operating under the guise of police powers without following due process? There is an attempt to curtail the rights of protesters and other Kenyans," said Mr Mutiso.
 
LSK representative Emmanuel Rauto called on supporters to turn up at the central police station.  
 
"We do not understand what is happening. We are calling on our members and lawyers to come in large numbers to the Central Police Station so that we can find out where Mr Omondi is. We will camp here until we find out where he is," said Mr Rauto.

The comedian was later released and was able to attend his brother, Fred Omondi's farewell event dubbed Last Laugh, at the Carnivore late last night.
 
X influencers took to the platform to demand the release of those arrested.

Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi alleged that those arrested were being questioned about the motive for the protests and asked to name those who were sponsoring the protests.

LSK president Faith Odhiambo said the society had been alerted to the ongoing arrests and was following up as necessary.

"Whenever we receive an alert, we do our best to follow up with our teams," Ms Odhiambo said.