On Friday afternoon, Riki a member of Wanavokali music group, was falsely arrested and profiled for having dreadlocks.
Riki who was walking together with his bandmates from Ngara on the way to the CBD was arrested by two police officers in plain clothes, without giving any reason.
This prompted a public outcry from Kenyans on the scene as well as the online community against the police officers and their negative profiling on people with dreadlocks.
Wanavokali members escorted Rikki to the Central police station where no charges were made against him. As a result the OCPD and the officers on the ground apologised for falsely profiling him.
Wanavokali released a statement shortly after thanking members of the public for standing with them during the ordeal.
They went ahead and called out police harassment on youths who are busy making a decent living in this country, especially given the recent happenings where four youths were killed after they were profiled for having dreadlocks and tattoos and mistaken for cattle rustlers.
Wanavokali in kiss studio
Wanavokali in kiss studio
Hey guys. Thank you all for the support and love you have shown us today. Thank you to the by-standers, our amazing fans and media personnel who took videos and made sure that our ordeal was visible.
Thank you to everyone on social media who shared and reposted the videos. As seen on various social media platforms, today one of our members, Riki, was falsely profiled and arrested without cause in town at the Globe Round about. We were all walking together from Ngara to the CBD, when two officers in plain clothes, grabbed him insisting to conduct a search on him. Their statement read in part.
They statement goes on to say that the unfortunate events ’caused a lot of distress to Riki, Wanavokali and their respective families.’
However, we empathize with people in similar situations who do not have the reach we have. Our hearts go out to everyone who reached out narrating similar experiences and we can only imagine what families have to go through.We hope to live to see the day where the system works for the people and not against them.
The events saw a number of celebrities offer their support to Riki and the Wanavokali family even as they spoke against the profiling of the youth by police officers because of how they look and what they wear.
Mutoriah: Apana. Tumemaliza ku hope. The system has to work for the people. It’s about time
Kelvin Nyash: These police should be dismissed from their duty or given punishment.. whichever.. this is police brutality. The guy has been humiliated and discriminated against by the officers. They should report it and follow it up.
Asiko: Heh kukuwa na dreadi Kenya ni illegal
PMMwanzia: This guys are always stationed around globe roundabout ready to harass innocent people.i’ve witnessed this happen several times with different people.someone need to expose them.
