21st October, 2026
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) condemns the reported assault and arrest of Citizen TV journalist Francis Odee by plainclothes police officers while covering protests against high fuel prices along Kimathi Street, Nairobi, on 20th October 2026. His subsequent release does not extinguish the need for accountability.
The KNCHR recalls that Articles 29, 34, 37 and 49 of the Constitution protect personal liberty, media freedom, peaceful assembly and the rights of arrested persons. Article 244(c) requires the National Police Service to uphold human rights. The High Court, in Law Society of Kenya v Kithinji & 5 others [2025] KEHC 7957 (KLR), affirmed the requirement for police officers policing public assemblies to wear uniforms and remain identifiable.
The Commission calls upon IPOA to promptly and impartially investigate the incident, and the Inspector General of Police to preserve evidence, cooperate with oversight bodies and ensure accountability where warranted. The KNCHR supports the action taken by IPOA to investigate seven police officers involved in the incident and urges:
1. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority to promptly and impartially investigate the incident and pursue accountability.
2. The Inspector-General of Police to preserve relevant footage, deployment, arrest and custody records; cooperate fully with oversight bodies; and ensure appropriate disciplinary action and referral for prosecution where warranted.
Protecting public order must never become a pretext for suppressing peaceful dissent or media freedom.
Anyone with information or a human rights concern may contact KNCHR through Email: haki@knchr.org ; SMS: 22359; WhatsApp: 0798 849 871; or Toll-Free: 0800 720 627.
KNCHR is an independent National Human Rights Institution established under Article 59 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and the KNCHR Act, 2011, mandated to promote and protect human rights in Kenya.
Haki Kwa Wote, Kila Wakati!
Claris Ogangah,
Chairperson, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).