Police officers arrest a protester during the Saba Saba anniversary in Nairobi on July 7, 2026. Photo/ENOS TECHE
At least seven people were arrested in Nairobi as police mounted patrols to stop activists from staging protests to mark the Saba Saba anniversary on Tuesday.
The group was confronted near Archives and along Wabera Street.
Police officers in both uniform and plain clothes patrolled on foot and in vehicles to ensure no groups gathered.
A fleet of about 10 police vehicles drove around the streets.
Police officers arrest a protester during the Saba Saba anniversary in Nairobi on July 7, 2026. Photo/ENOS TECHE
Siaya Governor James Orengo managed to address the media along Wabera Street in Nairobi despite the heavy police presence.
He said Saba Saba was an important day for Kenyans to commemorate.
"All of us should mark this day without the pressure we are witnessing now. I don't know why the security officers are doing this," he said as a man was wrestled to the ground behind him.
He later walked to his private office amid heavy police presence.
Another group gathered at All Saints Cathedral, ready for a planned march, as police maintained a presence in the area.
Police officers arrest a protester during the Saba Saba anniversary in Nairobi on July 7, 2026. Photo/ENOS TECHE
Most businesses remained closed as police mounted checkpoints to prevent protesters from marking the day.
Police also warned that anyone found engaging in unlawful acts would face legal action.
The annual Saba Saba commemoration, observed every year on July 7, has historically been marked by demonstrations calling for political and governance reforms, with authorities often deploying additional security personnel in anticipation of large crowds.
On July 7, 1990, veteran politicians and pro-democracy leaders, including Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia, organised a rally at Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi to demand an end to one-party rule and call for free elections.
Despite the arrest of key organisers and a heavy police crackdown that left several people dead and hundreds arrested, the protests became a pivotal moment in Kenya's democratic journey.
