Willis Otieno slams harsh charges against Saba Saba protesters
Lawyer and political analyst Willis Otieno has taken a swipe at the government over what he sees as exaggerated charges against Kenyans arrested during the Saba Saba protests on July 7, 2025.
In a post on his X account on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Otieno questioned the seriousness of the charges being pressed against the protesters, suggesting that the state was using the legal system to silence dissent.
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He further accused the state of weaponising the judiciary, saying the courts have become an echo of the executive’s agenda rather than an independent arbiter of justice.
According to him, the legal process is now being used to drown out legitimate demands for accountability and reform, pushing Kenya closer to authoritarianism under the guise of law and order.
“Robbery with violence? For Saba Saba protesters? Soon they’ll add treason and witchcraft. Even the judiciary is now humming the executive’s tune, badly off-key but loud enough to drown justice,” Otieno wrote.
1500 arrested
His statement came just a day after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen gave an update on the arrests and charges following the protests. According to Murkomen, around 1,500 people had been arrested across the country and are facing various serious charges.
“Following these unprecedented attacks, close to 1,500 individuals have been arrested across the country and are facing various charges, including terrorism, murder, robbery with violence, sexual assault, arson, and targeted attacks on strategic national infrastructure,” he said in a national address on Tuesday, July 15.
He added that 50 of the suspects are under investigation by the Serious Crimes Investigations Unit, while 71 cases have been taken up by the Anti-Terrorismhttps://k24.digital/411/murkomen-nearly-1500-arrested-over-june-and-july-unrest Police Unit.
“Of these, 50 individuals are currently under investigation by the Serious Crimes Investigations Unit, while 71 cases are being handled by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit for offences related to acts of terrorism,” Murkomen said.
Murkomen credited the security agencies with preventing further violence, saying their fast response was guided by intelligence that revealed plans to target key infrastructure, such as transport systems.
He also warned that the government was going after those who organised and financed the protests.
“Those who incited, organised, funded, or executed these attacks will face the full force of the law. The financiers and political sponsors of this mayhem are being investigated and will soon answer for their crimes,” he said.
The CS also addressed claims of police brutality, saying the government would take action against officers who broke the law.
“Similarly, any police officer accused of unlawful use of force will face the law. As I speak, one police officer has already been arraigned and is facing murder charges,” he noted.
