NAIROBI, Kenya — September 7, 2026 — Kenyan comedian and activist Eric Omondi has been arrested in Nairobi while collecting signatures for a campaign calling for major reforms to the country’s governance structure.
Omondi was arrested on Monday morning outside the Nairobi National Archives, where he was gathering signatures from members of the public in support of a proposal to reduce the number of Kenya’s counties.
Videos circulating online show a police officer handcuffing Omondi before taking him into a police vehicle. The comedian could be heard asking officers what offence he had committed and where he was being taken, but they did not respond.
Before his arrest, Omondi had been participating in a peaceful campaign calling for changes to Kenya’s governance system, including reducing the number of counties, Members of Parliament and members of county assemblies.
Omondi is calling for Kenya’s 47 counties to be reduced to eight, restoring the country’s previous administrative structure before the current system of devolution was introduced.
He is also calling for the abolition of the Senate and the positions reserved for women representatives from each county.
Among his other proposals are removing nominated representatives who are not directly elected and reducing the number of members of county assemblies.
“Reduce the number of counties from 47 to eight; remove nominated members who are not elected, abolish the Senate and county women representatives, and reduce the number of members of county assemblies,” Omondi said.
He argued that although devolution was introduced to bring government closer to citizens, it has placed a heavy financial burden on Kenyans through taxes used to maintain a large number of elected and appointed officials.
Omondi had urged members of the public to visit the Nairobi National Archives and sign his petition before it is submitted to Kenya’s electoral authorities as part of efforts to initiate a referendum.
Following his arrest, his whereabouts were not immediately known.
Omondi has previously been arrested over campaigns criticising government policies.
In June 2026, he was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after leading protests against rising fuel prices.
He was also arrested in 2024 near Kenya’s Parliament during demonstrations against a controversial Finance Bill that sparked widespread public opposition.
His latest arrest comes as debates over the cost of governance, taxation and the effectiveness of Kenya’s devolved system continue to feature prominently in the country’s political discourse.
KIGALI TIMES