A journalist with the Standard Media Group, Collins Kweyu, was detained at the Central Police Station in Nairobi on Friday, September 19, 2025, sparking outrage from media and legal organizations.
According to the Crime Journalists Association of Kenya (CJAK), Kweyu was arrested after he sought comments from a judicial officer regarding a corruption case.
His arrest reportedly followed a complaint lodged by the state officer involved.
CJAK strongly condemned the arrest, calling it a direct attack on press freedom and the rule of law.
“Using state machinery to silence a journalist investigating possible corruption within the judiciary is an attack not only on press freedom but on the very rule of law itself,” said CJAK Secretary-General Brian Obuya. “Arresting him on a Friday evening to ensure prolonged detention only deepens the suspicion of bad faith.”
The association also raised concerns over the protection of journalistic sources. “In journalism, sources are sacred. Any attempt to compel Collins Kweyu to reveal his sources is a grave infringement on press freedom and a direct violation of the constitutional protection of journalists in Kenya,” CJAK stated.
The Court Reporters Association of Kenya (CRAK) also voiced concern, urging authorities to release Kweyu immediately.
In a statement signed by Secretary-General Sam Kiplagat, the association described Kweyu as a respected, long-serving journalist with a known residence, emphasizing that he could have been summoned instead of detained.
“We emphasise that every suspect is entitled to bail unless compelling reasons are presented to justify continued detention, as stipulated by law,” Kiplagat said.
CRAK further connected Kweyu’s detention to a broader pattern of questionable treatment of suspects in custody, referencing the recent death of Albert Ojwang while in police detention.
Later that evening, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, ordered Kweyu’s immediate release.
Police stated that the arrest was linked to an investigation by detectives in Migori County, who are probing an alleged cybercrime involving Kweyu and two others.
Due to the anticipated transfer to Migori, officers claimed they were initially unable to grant him bail.
Kweyu recounted that he was lured into attending a meeting at a restaurant in Nairobi, only to be arrested without being informed of the charges against him.
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