NAIROBI, Kenya – The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) is seeking to question at least seven police officers over the arrest and alleged assault of Citizen TV journalist Odee Francis while he covered protests against rising fuel prices in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The officers include Central Police Station Sub-County Police Commander Patrick Gogo, commonly referred to as the OCPD, and Officer Commanding Station Joab Onyapidi, alongside five other officers accused of involvement in the journalist’s arrest.
The investigation follows the October 20 incident in which Odee was allegedly roughed up by police, bundled into a police vehicle and taken to Central Police Station despite identifying himself as a journalist on assignment.
According to reports, IPOA wants the officers to explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest, including why the journalist was detained despite presenting his press identification.
The probe shifts attention from Odee’s release to the question of individual accountability for the events that unfolded during the fuel-price demonstrations.
How Odee Was Caught Up in the Protests
Odee was covering demonstrations along Kimathi Street, where activists had taken to the streets to protest the latest increase in petroleum prices announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
In his account of the incident, the journalist said he was filming from the journalists’ side when protesters began fleeing as police moved in.
He alleged that a uniformed officer pointed at him and instructed colleagues to arrest him, despite his attempts to explain that he was working as a journalist.
The officers reportedly proceeded to bundle him into a police vehicle alongside other people arrested during the demonstrations.
Odee later claimed that plainclothes officers dragged and assaulted him, tearing his clothes before forcing him into a police Land Rover.
He was detained at Central Police Station before being released following intervention by senior officers.
The precise circumstances surrounding the arrest and the alleged mistreatment are among the issues that the investigation is expected to examine.
Media Groups Demand Accountability
The arrest triggered condemnation from media organisations, which called for an independent investigation and action against any officers found to have acted unlawfully.
The Crime Journalists Association of Kenya (CJAK) said Odee’s release should not end efforts to establish what happened during his arrest and detention.
The Kenya Editors Guild also condemned the incident and called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to apologise and provide assurances that journalists would be protected while covering public events.
The Media Council of Kenya similarly called for accountability, raising concerns over the treatment of journalists documenting demonstrations.
The organisations have stressed that police responsibilities in maintaining public order should not come at the expense of journalists’ safety or their ability to report on matters of public interest.
Fuel Price Protests Triggered by EPRA Review
The demonstrations followed EPRA’s October fuel-price review, which increased the maximum retail price of super petrol by Sh12.93 per litre, diesel by Sh9.90 and kerosene by Sh28.49.
The increases added to public concerns over the cost of living and prompted activists to organise protests in Nairobi’s city centre.
Odee was covering the demonstrations when the confrontation with police occurred.
His arrest has since become a wider press-freedom issue, with media organisations questioning whether journalists can safely document protests without being mistaken for demonstrators or subjected to force.
Press Freedom Concerns Remain
The incident has renewed scrutiny of the treatment of journalists covering protests and other public-interest events in Kenya.
According to the figures cited in the initial report, the Media Council of Kenya recorded 92 press-freedom violations in 2025, down from 130 in 2024. Physical assaults accounted for 67 per cent of the reported cases.
The planned questioning of the seven officers is an investigative step and does not, by itself, establish individual wrongdoing. The findings of IPOA’s inquiry will be important in determining the circumstances of Odee’s arrest and whether any officers should face further action.
As the investigation proceeds, media organisations are seeking answers not only about why the journalist was arrested, but also about how police officers handled a clearly identifiable media practitioner covering a public demonstration.
