Protests erupted in Nairobi on April 21, 2026, driven by public discontent over rising fuel prices and concerns about an anticipated increase in the cost of living. These demonstrations led to a series of arrests by plainclothes officers at the National Archives area, situated along Moi Avenue in the bustling Nairobi Central Business District.

A total of 12 individuals were initially apprehended during these protests. Although the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) approved charges against all 12, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), represented by lawyer Ian Mutiso, intervened during court proceedings. Mutiso informed the court that two of the arrested individuals were underage children and requested their separation from the adult detainees. He further highlighted that these minors had been held in adult cells at the Central Police Station and called for their families to provide birth certificates to ascertain their ages.

On April 22, 2026, ten of the arrested adults appeared before Nairobi City Court magistrate Rhoda Yator. They were charged with obstruction, specifically for allegedly gathering in crowds on April 21, 2026, at the Archives area along Moi Avenue, thereby willfully obstructing the free passage of a public street and causing inconvenience to pedestrians and road users. The accused individuals, including Julias Kamau Kimani, Elisha Ochieng, Collins Otieno Ochieng, Emmanuel Yegon, Dickson Mworia, Brian Mwenda, E.W., W.M., Alphones Opiyo, Michael Ngige, Emmanuel Muchui, and Joshua Okayo, all entered a plea of not guilty to the single charge.

The court session was briefly disrupted by dramatic chants and songs from the accused within the courtroom, which interfered with other ongoing cases. Magistrate Yator temporarily recessed to her chambers until order was restored, subsequently advising lawyer Mutiso to instruct his clients to maintain decorum and respect court procedures. Following the denial of charges, Mutiso presented arguments that the charge sheet was defective due to the absence of a specific complainant and the inclusion of minors as adults, which he contended made the charge sheet