A Nairobi court has released Julius Kamau, a well-known activist and vocal critic of the government, after he was detained for causing a disturbance in the corridors of the Milimani Law Courts.
When he appeared before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina on Monday August 25, 2025, Kamau apologised for disrupting court proceedings by shouting.
Magistrate Onyina had ordered the policemen manning the courts to lock him up at the Milimani Law Courts cells to enable the court proceedings to continue.
The Chief Magistrate directed activist Kamau to inform the court why he should not be punished for disturbing the court proceedings.
“You thought it was necessary for you to shout around here, and when there are courts conducting trials, I have the right to listen, and to hear what is going on,” Chief Magistrate Onyina posed.
“I want to hear from you why I should not punish you for continued shouting within the courts,” Magistrate Onyina told activist Kamau.
Kamau told the court that he was triggered by the authorities’ ignorance of raised important issues, which have not yet been addressed and are getting out of hand.
He also told the court that he is aware that he is wrong to disturb the court, and that he knows that his deeds are punishable.
“I know it’s not procedural; I was summoned for disturbing the court, but again, there is this culture where people are not being listened to; our issues are getting out of hand; nobody is addressing them,” activist Kamau told the court.
He further told court that he has been arrested so many times because he teaches Kenyans in the street on how to change and save the country from corruption.
Kamau also informed the court that there was an order that was issued barring the police from arresting him.
The Chief Magistrate released him with a stern warning that he will be jailed if he disturbs court proceedings again.
Activist Kamau caused drama when he appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, where he had a mention of his case.
However, his case did not proceed after he started shouting immediately after getting into the dock, leading to an adjournment after the security personnel could not calm him down.
“We should not keep silent, silence is more than slavery it is very easy to remove this people from power very very easy, but if we keep silent we can not be able to do it, we cannot be able to do it Africa I cry for Africa,” activist Kamau shouted.
According to the court papers, Kamau is accused of unlawful assembly contrary to section 78(1) as read with section 79 of the Penal Code.
Kamau is charged with unlawful shouting outside the UAP building along Hill Road in the Upperhill area within Nairobi County, blocking road users and causing fear to persons in the neighbourhood, on November 27, 2023.
The charge sheet states that with others not before the court, they took part in shouting, “Poverty is man-made; colonialism never really ended,” which caused reasonably to fear that the persons assembled would commit a breach of peace.
Kamau’s matter has been referred back to Magistrate Onsarigo’s court for a mention on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
