Police deny targeting foreigners amid protest crackdown claims
The viral release had claimed that security agencies, working with immigration officers, were conducting operations to arrest undocumented foreigners suspected of looting, damaging property, and attacking police stations.
The National Police Service has refuted claims that it is targeting foreign nationals participating in the ongoing anti-government protests across the country, dismissing a widely circulated press release as fake and misleading.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Monday morning, the police rejected the authenticity of the document, which alleged that over 100 foreigners had been arrested in connection with violent demonstrations.
“This press statement circulating on social media, purporting to be issued by the spokesperson of the National Police Service, is fake,” the NPS said.
The viral release had claimed that security agencies, working with immigration officers, were conducting operations to arrest undocumented foreigners suspected of looting, damaging property, and attacking police stations.
The police have dismissed those claims, terming them false and intended to mislead the public.
The clarification comes as heightened security measures were observed in Nairobi during the 35th Saba Saba Day commemorations. Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli played down concerns over the heavy police presence, saying movement in and out of the capital’s Central Business District was not restricted.
“Everybody is getting into the CBD, everybody is going for duty as normal no worries,” Masengeli told reporters.
However, scenes across the city told a different story. Multiple roadblocks were mounted along key routes into the CBD, with officers stopping vehicles, conducting searches, and in some cases, turning people away.
Roads affected included Thika Superhighway, Wayaki Way, Valley Road, and Ngong Road. At Roysambu, a roadblock along the Thika Superhighway led to traffic snarl-ups, while additional checkpoints were spotted along City Mortuary Road and Haile Selassie Avenue.
Other controlled access points included Ladhies Road, Kenyatta Avenue, and Uhuru Highway, with visible police patrols and tight security checks.
While the police have denied any crackdown on foreign nationals and insisted that normal activities are ongoing, the city remained tense. The visible deployment of officers and extensive checks reflected growing unease amid public frustration and fears of renewed unrest linked to the recent wave of youth-led anti-government protests.
