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Eric Omondi breaks silence after arrest in Nairobi CBD during signature drive
08th September, 2026 03:08 PM
Comedian-turned-activist Eric Omondi has continued with his campaign to change Kenya’s governance structure after being arrested during a signature collection drive in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Omondi was arrested on Monday, September 7, 2026, while collecting signatures outside the National Archives in support of his Punguza Mzigo campaign, which seeks to reduce the number of counties from 47 to eight.
He was arraigned in court on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, before being freed, allowing him to continue pushing his message to Kenyans.
Following his release, Omondi reiterated the changes he wants to see in the country’s political structure, urging Kenyans to support his campaign.
Under the proposal, Omondi wants the current 47 counties reduced to eight larger regions.
His other proposals include scrapping nominated positions, abolishing the Senate and doing away with the Women Representatives’ seats.
He also wants the number of Members of County Assembly (MCAs) reduced.
“Reduce the number of counties from 47 to 8. Do away with nominated members. Do away with the Senate. Do away with women representatives. Reduce the number of MCAs,” Omondi outlined the five-point proposal.
Omondi has argued that reducing the number of political positions would help cut the cost of running government and ease the financial burden on Kenyans.
Omondi’s Punguza Mzigo campaign
His campaign is seeking to collect one million signatures before submitting the initiative to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Reports indicated that the campaign had already gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures before reaching Nairobi.
The comedian had announced that his campaign will continue until Friday.
“We are going to reduce the counties from 47 to eight. It will happen. We will be at the Archives CBD until Friday,” Omondi said during the campaign.
Omondi’s arrest came as plain-clothes police officers confronted him during the signature drive and handcuffed him before taking him away in a police vehicle. Footage from the incident showed him asking officers what he had done wrong and where he was being taken.
Despite the arrest, Omondi has now returned to the campaign trail, continuing to rally Kenyans behind his proposed changes to the country’s governance system.
The initiative has reignited debate over the cost of Kenya’s devolved system and the number of political offices funded by taxpayers.
