Morara Kebaso arrested by DCI officers

DCI officers who arrested Morara Kebaso confiscated his phones and laptop before driving him away. [Courtesy]

Morara Kebaso, an activist who has been exposing abandoned projects and alleged corruption by the national government through social media was on Monday evening arrested by men believed to be police officers.

="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/amp/counties/article/2001503123/morara-other-activists-in-change-bid-must-grow-thick-skin">Kebaso,

Directorate of Criminal Investigation officers who arrested him confiscated his phones and laptop before driving him away.

A man claiming to be his friend and did not reveal his name but witnessed the arrest said only one officer introduced himself, the others were in masks.

The friend said they tried to enquire why the masked men were arresting Morara but they did not respond.

A video posted on X showed that he was driven in a green Subaru registration number KCQ 166J.

His lawyer Pareno Solonka said he was being held at Nairobi Area Police and that he had been denied access to his client.

“Morara is being retained at the Regional Police Headquarters. The police have refused to allow access to Morara even to me as his lawyer,” he posted on X.

The #FreeMorara was trending as of yesterday even, with Kenyans online calling for his release.

“They have said that they have strict instructions from the top not to allow anybody access to Morara including lawyers, media personnel, and other persons,” said Solonka in a video posted on his X account.

He faulted the police saying that they have no respect for the constitution or the rule of law and that the police’s head was rotten from the head, the interior cabinet secretary, down to the junior officers.

Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa posted a video saying that they had been denied access to Kebaso.

“They have refused to allow us to go in to see him, they have refused the lawyers to go in.”

He said it was Kebaso’s right to access his legal team and anybody else who may help him deal with the situation that he was in but the police had taken it upon themselves to deny him the right.

“The police in Kenya today do not follow the law, they follow orders from above and this is wrong, it is unconstitutional it is illegal,” said Khalid.

He said that they did not know why he had been arrested while calling for his immediate release.

“His arrest is a clear example of a plot by the government to silence Kenyans pushing for justice and accountability.”

According to Khalid, ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/counties/article/2001501149/why-kenyans-take-upon-themselves-to-audit-state-projects">Kebaso’s example< was clear that the government is afraid of his tours across the country that push for accountability of taxpayers’ money.

He faulted President William Ruto and Interior CS Kithure Kindiki for the arrest saying that such steps will not cower or silence Kenyans but will only embolden them to stand up against the Kenya Kwanza administration.