The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations into at least seven police officers over the alleged assault and arrest of Citizen TV journalist Odee Francis during protests in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday, October 20.
The officers are accused of harassing and manhandling the crime reporter as he covered demonstrations against rising fuel prices organised by human rights activists.
Among those expected to appear before IPOA investigators are Central Police Station Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Patrick Gogo and Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Joab Onyapidi. Five other officers allegedly involved in the journalist's arrest have also been summoned for questioning.
The officers are expected to explain why they arrested Odee despite his repeated attempts to identify himself as a journalist while covering the demonstrations.
Odee was briefly arrested and detained at Nairobi Central Police Station after officers allegedly mistook him for one of the protesters.
Recounting the incident, the journalist said he was filming demonstrations against high fuel prices in the CBD on Mashujaa Day, October 20, when the situation suddenly turned chaotic.
He explained that he was positioned alongside other journalists when the protesters began fleeing. An officer in uniform then reportedly pointed at him and instructed colleagues to arrest him as well.
Despite questioning the grounds for his arrest and repeatedly identifying himself as a registered journalist by displaying his official press badge, Odee said the officers ignored his explanation and proceeded to detain him. He was bundled into a police Land Cruiser alongside other activists and taken to the station.
The journalist further alleged that plainclothes officers dragged and assaulted him, tearing his clothes before forcibly throwing him into a police Land Rover.
He was held at Nairobi Central Police Station alongside the activists before being released following the intervention of the OCPD, who reportedly acknowledged that the journalist had been caught up in the chaos.
Journalists condemn arrest
Following the incident, the Crime Journalists Association of Kenya (CJAK) condemned Odee's arrest and alleged assault, calling on the police and IPOA to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The association also called for accountability, urging authorities to take action against any officers found culpable.
The investigation comes amid persistent concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists covering protests and other public demonstrations in Kenya.
Data from the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) shows that 92 press freedom violations were recorded in 2025, down from 130 cases reported in 2024.
Physical assaults accounted for 67 per cent of the reported violations, highlighting the risks journalists continue to face while carrying out their duties.
Odee's case has renewed scrutiny of police conduct during demonstrations and the protection afforded to journalists who identify themselves while reporting on unfolding public events.
