Civil rights activist who doubles up as Busia County Senator Okiya Omtatah has for the first time explained the reasons behind his chaining stunt whenever he participates in protests.
Speaking during a candid live interview with digital content creator Oga Obbina on Monday night of January 21, 2025, the civil rights activist stated categorically that his chaining tactic during demos is a way to protect himself from police brutality.
Furthermore, the vocal Senator added apart from protection against police brutality, the chain also isolates them from goons who infiltrate protests.
“One of the things the chains do, first, it isolates because people come to intervene in demos and be causing mayhem. Second askaris when they try to attack you in that position they become very vulnerable to cameras, and third kungolewa hapo kama umeshika hiyo nyororo it becomes very difficult,” Omtatah explained.
Omtatah on his first chaining
Reflecting on the first time he chained himself in 2008 at Vigilance House in Nairobi after the 2007 post-election violence, Omtatah says that the chaining stunt is a spiritual intervention since he had asked God to give him a safe formula that he could address Kenyans.
When asked why he fearlessly chained himself at the police headquarters, Omtatah said that he resorted to that so that he could air out the grievances affecting Kenyans since press conferences were banned.
The 2027 presidential aspirant went on to add that some people had approached and asked him as an activist to hold a press conference to address the ongoing violation of human rights.
“One thing was to get under their skin because they had declared a curfew in Nairobi with no movement; some people reached out and told me to hold a press conference. Remember, Michuki had banned press conferences.
“I went to the Holy Family Basilica and prayed and told God I was going to sleep, and tomorrow when I woke up I wanted to come up with a formula on how I could be able to address the press when I woke up; everything was clear in my mind,” Omtatah disclosed.
He further stated that he was able to hold a press conference and broke the media ban by addressing both local and international media.
The activist noted that he was not injured during the whole process.
“From that chaining, I was able to break the ban Michuki had placed on the media; I was able to address even the international media, and I was able to hold my press conference, and I did not get injured in the whole process,” he added.
Ever since that day, whenever he participates in protests, Omtatah has always chained himself or been chained with other protestors.
