Commotion gripped Nairobi’s Central Business District after demonstrations against escalating fuel costs broke out, with well-known Citizen TV presenter Odee Francis taken into custody by police on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
The incident unfolded along Kimathi Street, where protesters had assembled to voice their anger over the climbing price of fuel.The arrest drew widespread notice after officers in civilian clothes were spotted roughly manhandling the reporter before whisking him away.
Photographs obtained showed a number of officers hauling Odee along Kimathi Street close to its intersection with Kenyatta Avenue, not far from Sarova Stanley Hotel.
The officers subsequently shoved him into a waiting police Land Cruiser while onlookers watched events unfold.
A few bystanders tried to step in, urging the officers to let Odee go and reminding them that he was simply doing his job.
Their pleas, however, failed to deter the officers from carrying on with the arrest.
Video recorded at the scene also showed Odee begging the officers to let him keep covering the protests.
Despite his appeals, the officers pressed ahead and drove him off.
Citizen TV reported that Odee was covering the demonstrations against soaring fuel prices at the time he was arrested.
The protests also grew tense as police confronted activists who had poured onto the streets to oppose the mounting cost of fuel.
Some protesters were said to have been manhandled during the police crackdown.
The demonstrations came amid deepening worries over Kenya’s high cost of living.
Higher fuel prices frequently push up transport fares and the expense of moving food and other basic goods, adding further strain on families and businesses.
The arrest further sparked unease over how journalists are treated when covering public protests.
Reporters play a vital role in keeping citizens informed about developing events, including demonstrations over economic hardships facing ordinary Kenyans.
As of publication, the National Police Service, the Media Council of Kenya, the Kenya Editors Guild and Royal Media Services management had yet to release any formal statements on the matter.
Odee was eventually freed from Central Police Station, ending his short stint in custody.
The episode highlighted the difficulties journalists can face when reporting on protests, especially when police step in to control crowds.