Eric Omondi Arrested While Collecting Signatures to Slash Counties 

Popular comedian Eric Omondi was arrested on Monday morning in the Nairobi’s Central Business District.

The arrest occurred near the Nairobi National Archives, where plainclothes officers approached Omondi and placed him in handcuffs. According to video footage seen by Buzz Central.

In the clip, Omondi can be heard repeatedly questioning the officers about the reasons for his detention and his destination, but his queries went unanswered.

Moments before his arrest, Omondi was leading a peaceful demonstration aimed at pushing for reforms in Kenya’s governance. His demands include a drastic reduction in the number of counties from the current 47 to just eight.

Additionally, the activist is advocating for the complete abolition of the Senate and the position of Women Representatives. He is also pushing for the removal of all nominated members of Parliament and a cut in the number of Members of County Assemblies (MCAs). Addressing the crowd, Omondi was heard outlining his proposals.

Omondi argued that while devolution was initially a well-intentioned concept, it has since fallen short of expectations. He contended that Kenyan citizens are now burdened with heavy taxes, much of which goes toward funding the salaries of both elected and appointed officials.

He had been urging members of the public to visit the National Archives to sign a petition, which he intended to submit to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to trigger a constitutional referendum.