Jamhuri Day: Police Rush To Arrest Man Who Dared To Disrupt William Ruto's Speech At Uhuru Gardens

• Activist Julius Kamau was manhandled on Tuesday, December 12, during the Jamhuri Day celebrations
• President William Ruto led the nation in marking the 60th edition of the fete at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi
• Kamau had strived to reach Ruto during his speech before the officers on standby pounced on him

Renowned Nairobi activist Julius Kamau once again found himself at the hands of law enforcers who roughed him while quelling his attempts to catch the attention of President William Ruto.

Activist challenging Ruto handcuffed

Kamau was at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, where the president led the nation in marking the 60th edition of the Jamhuri Day celebrations.

During Ruto's speech, the activist dared to make his way to where the president was before the law enforcers on standby pounced on him.

They handcuffed, manhandled and whisked him away to seclusion; all the while, the president continued with his speech.

Arrest during Saba Saba protests

Kamau is not new to controversy.

He was arrested in July this year after chaining himself to a post as he participated in the Saba Saba protests in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).

Armed with his cardboard reading 'poverty is modern-day slavery', Kamau had joined other protesters in demanding from the government to lower the cost of living.

"People are suffering. People are dying. How do you address this? How is the government addressing this? The government has become so inefficient," he shouted as General Service Unit (GSU) officers fielded to face off with the protesters approached.

The officers would surround him, looking for a way to unchain him.

After a while, they broke the padlock, removed the chain and bundled him into their car.

He was taken to the Central Police Station, where he was detained pending charges.

Fake charges

His arrest, however, rattled Kenyans on social media who demanded his release, saying there were no credible charges to his name.

The activist would later be released after the intervention of Boniface Mwangi, another renowned social crusader.

Mwangi claimed that the Kamau underwent torture while under police custody, sharing an image of the activist with a blood clot in his eyes.

He called on the Inspector General of Police, Japhet Koome, to ensure his phone, confiscated during the arrest, was returned.

Mwangi thanked Kenyans for supporting the activist following his latest arrest. "Julius Kamau has been freed.

"The fake charges were dropped. He was tortured by the police while in custody. The officers who arrested him confiscated his phone. We hope @IG_NPS will ensure it’s returned. Thank you for raising your voices on his behalf. He appreciates your support," wrote Mwangi.