NAIROBI, Kenya — A team of detectives on Tuesday raided the residence of Patrick Osoi, a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier and US Army veteran, arresting him over alleged plans to mobilize ex-security personnel into an anti-government political movement.
Osoi, who recently gained public attention after launching the “Fighting Brutality and Impunity (FBI)” group on Tuesday, was taken into custody by heavily armed officers in an operation his communications team described as an “abduction.” “Free Patrick Osoi!! H.E. Patrick Osoi was abducted last night by a contingent of heavily armed men. Reasons for this are still unknown,” read a statement shared via his official X account.
By Wednesday morning, his team confirmed that he had been traced to Muthaiga Police Station, where he is currently being held and faces charges of preparation to commit a felony.
The former Special Forces soldier had earlier posted a statement explaining the purpose of his movement, asserting that it aimed to defend victims of extrajudicial killings and support officers sidelined for opposing illegal orders.
“Having served as a KDF Special Forces soldier, NIS officer, and US Army veteran, I took the solemn initiative of forming a movement dubbed Fighting Brutality and Impunity (FBI),” Osoi stated.
He revealed that the group comprised former officers who had been dismissed from duty for rejecting unlawful directives and for standing in solidarity with protestors during anti-government demonstrations.
“We will fight for every Kenyan mistreated by rogue police, for families of those killed, and for officers neglected by the very system they served. This is a fight for justice,” he added.
In an emotional post, Osoi expressed his readiness to face the consequences of his activism. “I would rather die with my head high than live in modern-day slavery. No force can silence the truth. No walls can stand against the people who refuse to kneel,” he wrote.
Also Read: High Court declares Nairobi protest ban unconstitutional, awards Ksh 2.2m to victims of police brutality
Among those Osoi had teamed up with was Police Constable Hiram Kimathi, who reportedly refused to comply with a transfer order after opposing a ‘shoot order’ issued by his superiors.
Kimathi had stated on his social media page that he was transferred from Kyumbi Police Station, near Machakos Junction, to the remote Todonyang Police Station on the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
Osoi had also enlisted Jackson Kuria Kihara, alias Cop Shakur, a prison officer who was suspended for joining Kenyans in the anti-Finance Bill protests in June and was subsequently arrested.
Cop Shakur was again arrested in Kahawa West while allegedly in possession of a red beret bearing the group’s emblem.
He was presented in court on Thursday to face terrorism-related charges.
Meanwhile, Osoi appeared before the court on Wednesday, where he faced terrorism charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.
He is also accused of being in unlawful possession of a firearm.
Osoi’s arrest comes at a time of growing tension regarding state responses to dissent and police accountability, with human rights groups increasingly raising concerns over enforced disappearances and the alleged silencing of dissenting voices.
