Why was Kakan Maiyo arrested, and what happened during his detention?
TikToker and businessman Kakan Maiyo has been released on a police bond of Ksh.10,000 after spending two nights in custody at Muthaiga Police Station. His arrest, which was captured in a viral video showing plainclothes officers pinning him to a wall before leading him away, triggered strong reactions online.
Authorities accused Maiyo of incitement and making alarming publications targeting police officers and their families through his social media content. He was initially expected to appear in court at Milimani, but was instead returned to the police station.
After his release, Maiyo said investigators questioned him about multiple videos and seized his mobile phone. “They wanted to know whether I am acting in a group but I told them that those were my personal views,” he explained.
How has his legal team responded to the accusations?
Maiyo’s legal team has dismissed the charges as groundless. His lawyer Phillip Maiyo said, “The allegations were neither here nor there, Kan is a man of God and he was doing the Lord’s work.” The defense argues that the accusations lack the legal basis for prosecution.
His uncle, Peter Kakan, called for a national conversation: “My prayer to the President is that we have a national conversation so that everyone knows his role.”
What kind of content does Maiyo post online?
Maiyo has built a social media following by calling out government failures, highlighting police brutality, and promoting his logistics company. One of his most shared videos warned security forces involved in enforced disappearances:
“A time is coming when you will go to abduct someone and you will not return to your stations alive. Mark my words.”
He continued, “The wrath of God is upon this government. When it strikes, none of you who have been involved in the abductions of Kenyans will survive. Your families will cry the same tears these families have cried. No amount of arrest, abduction, or killing will silence Kenyans. It is a waste of time.”
By Risper Akinyi
