NAIROBI — Kenyan detectives have arrested a 17-year-old boy filmed desecrating the national flag during a football match at Nyayo Stadium, in an incident that has stirred public outrage and drawn swift political reaction.
The video, widely shared online, shows a fan dressed in a Somali sarong snatching a flag from a Kenya Police FC supporter before tossing it to the ground. The clip, recorded during a match between Mogadishu City Club and Police FC, triggered a storm of condemnation, with many calling the act “a blatant show of disrespect.”
On Thursday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations confirmed the arrest, saying the boy was detained after being identified in the footage. “Two individuals were captured on camera disrespecting the national flag—an act that is both unlawful and deeply offensive to the values we uphold as a nation,” the agency said in a statement. Detectives added that a second suspect remains at large.
Kenyan law is clear on such offences. Section 2B of the National Flag, Emblems and Names Act states that any person who insults or disrespects the flag, national anthem, or other protected symbols commits a crime.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the incident and ordered decisive action. “We will not allow anyone, whether Kenyan or foreign, to play with our independence and our symbols of unity, including our national flag,” he said, adding that the government would pursue prosecution and, where necessary, deportation.
Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, also distanced his country from the act, describing it as unacceptable.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja echoed the hard line, calling the flag “a symbol fought for through blood and sacrifice.” He said the DCI had been instructed to act swiftly. “Our flag must be respected,” he told reporters.
The arrest underscores how deeply the national flag resonates in Kenya’s political and cultural life — a reminder, officials say, of the sacrifices made in the country’s struggle for independence.
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