A year later, I still live with the consequences of what happened to me on May 1, 2025, a day that was meant to celebrate labour, dignity, and freedom, but instead became the beginning of one of the darkest chapters of my life. After my birthday, the only dates that now carry deep meaning in my life are May 1st and May 2nd. These are not just calendar days anymore they are memories etched into my life story.
On Labour Day, I was arrested. I spent nearly 20 hours in handcuffs, subjected to interrogation and humiliation. My phone was taken without a court order. On May 2, I was released on a cash bail of KSh 50,000 at Muthaiga Police Station. What troubled me even more was learning that there had been plans to detain me for an additional 21 days under the claim of ongoing investigations.
Walking out of that station on May 2nd was not just freedom it was reflection. It forced me to confront everything I had gone through and everything I had lost along the way.
This is not just about me. It is about a bigger cause.
Since my arrest on May 1st, I have gone through a year I can only describe as extremely difficult. I experienced deep emotional distress, financial strain, and a heavy social stigma that led to isolation from friends. My mental health was affected in ways that are hard to fully explain.
I am grateful to the few people who stood with me my family, a handful of trusted friends, and my legal team led by Evans Ondiek alongside Noel Musya and others, who provided representation and guidance when I needed it most.
During that period, many of my clients became silent. Some withdrew, not out of malice, but out of fear worried they might be associated with my case or drawn into investigations. That silence also came with economic consequences.
What I went through has made me reflect deeply on the state of leadership and civic space in our society. I was engaging in civic education speaking to families in Kitui South about accountability, transparency, and the need for a new generation of leadership that delivers real results.
Instead, I found myself in a situation that raised more questions than answers about how dissent and civic engagement are handled.
As I reflect on this Labour Day, I see a painful contrast. In some parts of the country, there are visible efforts in education and social support systems. In others, citizens are still struggling with minimal bursaries, unmet promises, and repeated cycles of political rhetoric without transformation.
We cannot ignore these disparities.
We are in a generation that is asking harder questions. A generation that demands accountability, not symbolism. A generation that wants results, not repetition of promises.
For me, May 1st represents pain. May 2nd represents survival. But beyond both, it represents a reminder that civic voice must never be silenced.
And I will continue speaking not just for myself, but for the bigger cause this moment revealed to me.
Ends///
