Eric Omondi arrested while collecting signatures to reduce counties from 47 to 8

Comedian-turned-activist Eric Omondi has been arrested in Nairobi CBD.

Omondi was arrested on Monday, 7 September, by plain-clothes police officers at the Nairobi National Archives. The arrest was carried out without incident.

Footage shows an officer handcuffing Omondi before placing him in a police vehicle.

Omondi is heard asking the officers what he had done wrong and where he was being taken, but they did not respond.

In the moments building up to his arrest, Omondi was holding a peaceful protest calling for changes to Kenya’s governance structure, including a reduction in the number of counties, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs).

He is calling for a mass reduction of the number of counties from 47 to just eight, reverting to the then 8 regions.

At the same time, Omondi is demanding that the Senate and Women’s Representatives positions be scrapped.

He is also calling on the government to do away with the nominated representatives, as well as the reduction of MCAs.

“Reduce the number of counties from 47 to 8, do away with nominated members, scrap the Senate, abolish the Women Reps, and reduce the number of MCAs,” Eric Omondi was heard saying.

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According to Omondi, devolution was a great idea, but it has failed tremendously as Kenyans are subjected to high taxation to fund salaries of elected and nominated representatives.

He is calling on Kenyans to pass through the National Archives to sign the petition before submitting it to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the referendum.

It remains unclear where the comedian was taken after his arrest, with police expected to release a statement on his whereabouts.

In recent months, Eric Omondi has had brushes with the government leading to arrests. In June 2026,  he was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after leading a protest against the fuel price hike using the yellow vests on the road.

Further back in 2024, he was also arrested outside Parliament buildings while protesting the previous Finance Bill 2024.

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