Citizen TV journalist Odee Francis was arrested by police while covering demonstrations against rising fuel prices in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday, October 20.
Francis was reporting along Kimathi Street when plainclothes officers confronted him, roughed him up and dragged him towards a waiting police vehicle.
Footage of the incident showed the officers bundling the journalist into a police Land Cruiser near the junction of Kimathi Street and Kenyatta Avenue, close to Sarova Stanley Hotel.
Members of the public and fellow journalists protested the arrest, urging the officers to release Francis and reminding them that he was covering the demonstrations in his professional capacity.
“You are arresting a journalist. Why are you arresting media personnel?” some members of the public were heard asking the officers.
The journalist was also seen appealing to the officers to allow him to continue with his assignment, but they proceeded with the arrest.
The demonstrations were triggered by rising fuel prices following the latest review by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on October 14.
EPRA raised the price of Super Petrol by KSh12.93 per litre, diesel by KSh9.90 and kerosene by KSh28.49, citing an increase in the cost of imported petroleum products.
The higher prices have added pressure on motorists and households, with fuel costs often affecting transport fares and the prices of goods and services.
Francis’ arrest comes amid renewed concerns over the safety of journalists covering protests in Kenya.
On Monday, October 19, Amnesty International released a report documenting alleged human rights violations during demonstrations between 2023 and 2025, including attacks on journalists by security officers. <Cite refs={[“turn509192search7”]}/>
However, the circumstances surrounding Francis’ arrest remained unclear, with no official police explanation immediately available in the reports reviewed.
It was also not immediately clear where he was taken after being bundled into the police vehicle or whether he had been released by the time of publication.