Nairobi, Kenya – June 27, 2025
Prominent public interest lawyer and activist Shadrack Wambui has filed an urgent application at the High Court in Nairobi seeking anticipatory bail, citing fears of an imminent and unlawful arrest by state security agencies allegedly acting on political orders.
Through his lawyer Danstan Omari, Wambui told the court he had received credible information that police were planning to arrest and possibly harm him under the pretext of investigating his involvement in a peaceful protest held in Ongata Rongai on June 25.
The application, filed at the Kibera Law Courts, invokes constitutional protections under Articles 47, 49, and 50, arguing that Wambui is being targeted for his civic activism and outspoken public interest litigation. Wambui is also the chairperson of Sheria Mtaani na Shadrack Wambui, a community legal advocacy group.
“The planned arrest is a calculated effort to silence the applicant and cripple his civic work,” reads part of the court filing. It further claims that the timing of the arrest—expected on a Friday—is a deliberate tactic aimed at detaining him over the weekend to deny access to legal remedies.
According to the application, the June 25 protest in Ongata Rongai began peacefully but was disrupted by violent groups allegedly hired by unnamed political figures. Wambui claims he narrowly escaped physical harm during the chaos, including an attempted stabbing.
In the supporting affidavit, Wambui points to remarks made by the area Member of Parliament the following day, which he believes indirectly accused him of sponsoring the unrest. Wambui, a vocal advocate for the Mathare community, interprets the comments as part of a broader political effort to discredit and intimidate him.
He has also raised concerns over a summons issued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which he believes is linked to the alleged plot against him.
“I fear I will be arrested today, Friday, and unlawfully detained over the weekend, with no access to bail or the courts,” Wambui states in his affidavit.
Wambui is asking the court to bar the DCI and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) from arresting or interfering with his liberty pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The court is expected to rule on whether the matter qualifies as urgent and whether interim protective orders will be granted.
By Were Kelly
