By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, April 22, 2026 - What began as a routine court appearance for a group of fuel price protesters quickly shifted into a charged and emotional scene at Nairobi’s City Court.
Activist Julius Kamau and nine others, arrested during Tuesday’s attempted #RejectFuelPrice demonstrations in the CBD, were on Wednesday released on a cash bail of Sh3,000 each after pleading not guilty to charges of obstructing a public street.
But it was not the charges that drew attention—it was the atmosphere.
As the accused were escorted into the court premises from a police truck, they broke into chants of “Viva comrade viva”, drawing curious onlookers and setting the tone for what followed. Kamau, draped in colours resembling the Kenyan flag and holding a “Save Kenya Now” placard, appeared to rally the group.
The chants did not stop at the gates.
Inside the court precincts, the group continued their protest, briefly disrupting proceedings and forcing Senior Principal Magistrate Rhoda Yator to halt the session.
“I will only handle this matter when there is order in court,” she said, adjourning briefly as tensions rose.
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The court later resumed and heard that the group had allegedly blocked Moi Avenue near the National Archives on April 21, causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians, contrary to the Nairobi City County Public Nuisance Act, 2021.
Two of the suspects were also referred for age assessment after concerns they could be minors.
Outside the courtroom drama, police maintained a heavy presence across Nairobi’s CBD, although business activity largely continued as normal. Authorities reported only scattered and contained protest activity in other areas, including parts of Kirinyaga, Makueni and Machakos counties.
The arrests come against a backdrop of growing public frustration over rising fuel costs, which have sparked intermittent calls for demonstrations in recent weeks.
The case will be mentioned on May 7.