NAIROBI, KENYA —Nairobi police Saba Saba arrests; Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud has lauded the conduct of the public following Tuesday’s high-stakes Saba Saba commemorations, officially characterizing the city’s security status as “largely peaceful” despite the tense morning standoffs.
The extensive police deployment and strategically placed checkpoints that choked off entry points into the Central Business District (CBD) effectively prevented the massive crowds and chaotic disruptions that have historically defined the annual July 7 protests.
Only 10 Arrested Across the Capital
In a post-operation central command briefing, Commander Mohamud confirmed that law enforcement units units only apprehended 10 individuals throughout the entire day’s deployment.
According to police records, six suspects were intercepted and arrested within the Pangani residential area, while four others were detained directly within the jurisdiction of the Central Police Station inside the CBD. The regional boss clarified that the ten individuals are currently being held in custody and will face formal arraignment in court to answer to charges of obstruction and other public order offences.
“The conduct of the public today has reaffirmed that Kenya remains a nation guided by order, unity, and mutual respect. We apprehended only 10 people—six in the Pangani area and four within the Central Police Station,” Mohamud stated, strongly praising residents for exercising restraint he told newsportal.co.ke
Economic Resilience: 80% of CBD Shops Remained Active
The stringent screening protocols enforced by the National Police Service (NPS) on major transit arteries—including Thika Road, Waiyaki Way, and Mombasa Road—initially left thousands of commuters stranded and forced many to walk long distances to work.
However, police claim that this proactive filtering mechanism successfully kept criminal elements at bay and prevented the widespread looting or vandalism often associated with political mass action. As a result, commercial confidence remained relatively high compared to previous years. Security agencies estimated that nearly 80 percent of formal retail businesses, offices, and banking halls within the city center managed to stay open and operate up to standard closing hours.
Civil Society and Opposition Condemn “Heavy-Handed” Police Blockade
While the state hailed the operation as an outright policing success, civil rights organizations and opposition figures have launched a fierce counter-offensive, accusing the executive of using the security apparatus to systematically cripple constitutional freedoms.
Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka led the condemnation, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all detained citizens. Musyoka sharply criticized the heavy-handed use of roadblocks, undercover plain-clothes squads, and unmarked vehicles to intercept peaceful marchers, terming the containment strategy an act of regime intimidation.
Activists from the Grassroots Economic Justice Movement—who had attempted to lead a peaceful “March for Our Lives” procession from Jeevanjee Gardens to Parliament to petition lawmakers on extrajudicial state force—lambasted the police for ignoring their legal Article 37 notifications and using tear gas to disperse assemblies near the Kenya National Archives and along Jogoo Road.
As normalcy fully returns to the capital this Wednesday morning, the debate rages on whether the government’s total security lockdown represents a necessary blueprint for protecting local businesses or a dangerous suppression of democratic expression.
