NAIROBI, Kenya—Comedian-turned-activist Eric Omondi has been arrested in Nairobi while collecting signatures for his campaign seeking to reduce Kenya’s 47 counties to eight regional units.
Omondi was arrested on Monday morning by plain-clothes police officers at the Nairobi National Archives, where he had set up a signature collection drive for his Punguza Mzigo initiative. Videos circulating online showed officers handcuffing the activist and taking him away from the area.
Before his arrest, Omondi had called on Nairobi residents to support the proposed constitutional changes, saying the signature collection exercise at the Archives would continue until Friday. His campaign is targeting one million signatures to initiate a constitutional amendment process under Article 257 of the Constitution.
The proposal seeks to reorganise the current 47 counties into eight larger regional units, broadly corresponding to the former provincial structure. Omondi argues that the changes would reduce the cost of governance by eliminating several elective and nominated positions, including senators, women representatives and nominated parliamentary seats.
The activist has linked the proposed restructuring to reducing government expenditure, arguing that savings could instead be directed towards public services, including education. His campaign says it had collected about 450,000 signatures by Monday, although that figure is a claim by the campaign and has not been independently verified.
The proposal is not new. Omondi launched a similar campaign in 2024 calling for Kenya’s 47 counties to be reduced to eight and for the removal of several political positions. The latest signature drive comes as the country moves towards the 2027 General Election.
Omondi has previously been arrested over his activism and protest activities, including an arrest at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in June 2026 linked by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to fuel protests.
The reason for Monday’s arrest had not been publicly explained by police in the initial reports. The circumstances surrounding his detention and whether he would face charges were expected to become clearer as the day progressed.
Any attempt to alter the structure of Kenya’s counties would require changes to the Constitution and would have to go through the prescribed constitutional process. Collecting the required signatures alone does not automatically result in a referendum or change the existing system of devolved government.
