Court releases 48 youth arrested in Isiolo crackdown
Over 40 youth that had been arrested in a security crackdown that was conducted in Isiolo moments after President William Ruto concluded his tour of the region, have been released.
The 48 youth were on Monday, February 10, 2025, arraigned at the Isiolo Law Courts where they took plea.
They were represented by a team of advocates from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
LSK President Faith Odhiambo in a statement shared via her official X account stated that the court ordered for their release after taking the plea.
According to Odhiambo, the court discharged them pursuant to section 35 of the (Code of Civil Procedure) CPC.
“The 48 youth arrested in Isiolo were arraigned in court today, where they were represented by our team of Advocates. They took plea, and the court ordered their release. The court discharged them pursuant to section 35 of the CPC,” Odhiambo stated.
The 48 youth arrested in Isiolo were arraigned in court today, where they were represented by our team of Advocates. They took plea, and the court ordered their release. The court discharged them pursuant to section 35 of the CPC. pic.twitter.com/Ap8F2CCwNI
— Faith Odhiambo (@FaithOdhiambo8) February 10, 2025
Isiolo youth arrested
The youth were arrested after the police conducted a crackdown on Saturday and Saturday.
County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding told the media on Sunday that police were targeting drug peddlers, muggers, and illicit alcohol dealers in the county. Individuals loitering in the town past midnight were also nabbed.
According to the county commissioner, the operation is set to continue in the coming days despite a wave of criticism from Kenyans online over the circumstances surrounding how the individuals were arrested.
Ruto clashes with Isiolo youth
As President Ruto concluded his tour of the North Eastern region in Isiolo on Friday, February 7, 2025, a confrontation unfolded when a section of the youth clashed with him verbally during a rally.
The tension escalated, forcing President Ruto and his allies to struggle to deliver their message amid loud chants of “uongo” (lies) from the crowd.
Reacting to the disruption, President Ruto asserted that drug traffickers had orchestrated the chaos by sending youths to disrupt the meeting.
He issued a warning, emphasizing the government’s stance against such activities.
“I am aware that drug dealers have sent the youth to come and cause a disturbance at this meeting. Be warned, young people—you cannot threaten the government. A foreigner cannot come and turn Isiolo into a drug den. It won’t happen,” Ruto asserted.
