On Saturday, March 18, nearly 50 student leaders affiliated with the Kenya University Students Organization (KUSO) were arrested while holding a press conference at a Nairobi hotel. The police accused them of holding an illegal meeting to give directives to other student organizations across the country before the upcoming March 20 demonstrations. The Azimio La Umoja, a coalition led by Raila Odinga, had declared a public holiday for the day to allow supporters to attend the demonstrations.
The police stormed the hotel before the press conference could start and arrested the student leaders. They were handcuffed and taken to the Central Police Station, where they underwent interrogations. The student leaders protested the arrest, noting that the police were violating their right to associate and express themselves without fear of reprisal from the government.
Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio La Umoja coalition, had earlier declared March 20 a public holiday during a public baraza on Tuesday, March 14. He urged his supporters to attend the anti-government demonstrations in Nairobi, warning the police against mishandling the protestors since they would be advocating for everyone’s rights.
