Following the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect, police on Thursday, September 25, 2025, apprehended a second suspect over the desecration of Kenya’s national flag.
In a statement on the Directorate of Criminial Investigations X page, the agency confirmed the arrest of a minor, 14-year-old Muhidin Ahmed Abukar, over the incident.
The suspects were filmed disrespecting the national flag, an act authorities say is unlawful and offensive to national values.
The incident occurred on September 20, 2025, at Nyayo Stadium during a match between Mogadishu City Club and Police FC.
Police said efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest the second suspect, who is believed to still be in the country.
In viral videos, fans were seen desecrating the Kenyan flag—trampling it, throwing it on the ground, and rubbing it against their bodies.
The acts sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for swift legal action.
Article 9 of the Constitution of Kenya lists the national flag, the anthem, the coat of arms, and the public seal as national symbols of the Republic. These symbols are not just decorative but represent sovereignty, unity, and identity.
According to Section 2B of the National Flag, Emblems and Names Act (Cap 99), any person who shows disrespect to the national flag, anthem, or specified emblems in speech, writing, or manner commits an offence.
“Any person who shows disrespect, in speech, manner, or writing, to or with reference to the National Anthem, or to any specified emblem (including the National Flag)… shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both,” the section states.