Nairobi residents on Sunday morning woke up to a disturbing scene — the Dedan Kimathi statue along Kimathi Street had been vandalized, its head severed and parts of the monument badly damaged.
Police confirmed that a male suspect believed to be behind the act is in custody at Central Police Station.
A video circulating on social media showed the man parading the statue’s detached head through the city’s central business district before being subdued and arrested by officers.
According to police, the suspect will be arraigned in court on Friday.
The statue, unveiled in 2007, was erected in honour of Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, the Mau Mau freedom hero who led Kenya’s anti-colonial resistance movement in the 1950s.
It has long stood as a symbol of Kenya’s struggle for independence and national pride.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with many Kenyans condemning the act as an assault on the country’s heritage. Civil groups and historians are now calling for enhanced protection of national monuments and stricter penalties for vandalism targeting cultural landmarks.
Nairobi County officials said an assessment was underway to determine the extent of the damage and the restoration process to return the statue to its original form.
