Good governance advocate Willis Otieno has cautioned that any act of commission or omission against the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, will never go unpunished.

Otieno shared a video clip on his X account on Saturday, June 27, 2026, showing a group of masked and armed men engaged in a discussion as Kenyans prepared to take to the streets to commemorate the June 25, 2024, Gen Z protests.

While it remains unclear who the masked and armed men were or what they were discussing in the video, Otieno accompanied the clip with a message warning that accountability eventually catches up with anyone who abuses power or acts outside the law.

Willis’ warning

In his post on X, Otieno reminded Kenyans of the legal accountability that followed the killing of Baby Pendo, saying justice may take time but is not easily forgotten.

“Governments change. Orders expire. But the law has a long memory, and accountability has an even longer one.”

He continued:

“Ask those held to account over the killing of Baby Pendo. Time catches up with everyone.”

Without referring to any individual or institution, the lawyer said anyone using state power unlawfully should know that impunity does not last forever.

“If you’re using state power to settle political scores instead of upholding the Constitution, understand this: impunity has an expiry date.”

He added:

“Every unlawful act leaves a trail, every victim deserves justice, and every abuse of power will one day face its reckoning.”

Murkomen’s response

Hours after the June 25, 2026, protests, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen addressed the nation from Harambee House.

He commended security officers for their conduct during the demonstrations and explained that security agencies had adopted different operational measures during this year’s protests.

Murkomen said security agencies routinely adjust how officers present themselves depending on the nature of an operation and the risks involved.

“In the security sector, there are many measures that are put in place to protect both security officers from being targeted in any way and not to compromise security operations,” he said.

“In some cases, they will not wear their uniform to protect themselves. And as I’ve told you before, those security measures are applied here and elsewhere for the purpose of protecting our officers.”

The Interior CS further explained that such measures also extend to the use of different number plates on security vehicles.

“So that includes the designation of different number plates, sometimes even hiding them. Sometimes in some cases, police officers will wear a uniform,” Murkomen said.

He added that deploying plain-clothes officers is a standard security practice used both in Kenya and internationally.

“For example, there are many DCI officers who were mingling with citizens across the country to ensure that if they see anybody committing an offence, they quickly arrest them and be able to bring them before the law.”

Murkomen said the officers were deployed to blend into crowds, identify suspects and facilitate arrests where offences were committed.

Video resurfaces

The video shared by Otieno has continued to circulate widely on social media, attracting debate among Kenyans.

The footage appears to show several masked and armed men standing together and talking shortly before the June 25 demonstrations.

However, the identities of the individuals, the organisation they belong to and the purpose of their meeting cannot be independently verified from the video alone.

Otieno did not identify the men or state where the footage was recorded.

Murkomen’s remarks came after the government confirmed that hundreds of people had been arrested during the June 25 protests as part of the nationwide security operation.

Calls for accountability

Otieno’s remarks came as debate over the June 25 Gen Z protests continues, with families of victims, civil society groups and human rights organisations maintaining calls for accountability over deaths, injuries and other alleged violations reported during the demonstrations.

The lawyer’s message focused on the principle that accountability under the Constitution eventually catches up with those responsible for unlawful acts, regardless of changes in government or public office.

As of publication, no official statement has linked the masked individuals seen in the resurfaced video to any state agency, security organ or other organisation.

Likewise, the footage alone does not establish who the individuals are or what they were discussing.