Disability rights activist James Mbugua has spoken out after what he describes as a brutal encounter with police officers during the June 25, 2026, demonstrations in Nakuru City, sparking public outrage and prompting responses from the government, police authorities and disability rights defenders.

Mbugua, who lives with a disability and relies on crutches for movement, said police officers subjected him to forceful treatment during his arrest despite his visible physical condition, leaving him injured and unable to seek immediate medical care.

Mbugua recounts painful arrest ordeal

Speaking on Saturday, June 27, 2026, with a local station after his release, the activist emotionally narrated how officers knocked him down, threw away his crutches and demanded that he stand and walk on his own despite his disability.

“Polisi aliniangusha, akatupa chuma zangu na kuniambia niamke nitembee.Natembea aje na sina crutches? How can 20 policemen come and drag me like a rag, is there human rights in this country? Polisi alinigongesha kwa gari,” Mbugua said.

He further claimed officers kicked him in the chest and left him nursing pain in several parts of his body.

“ Niko na maumivu kwa mgongo wangu na kwa miguu. Nilipigwa teke ya kifua. I should be in hospital but sina hiyo capital,” he added.

The disturbing account quickly triggered online outrage, with many Kenyans questioning how a person living with disability could allegedly face such treatment while under police custody.

Police condemn officers’ conduct

Following the circulation of the arrest video on social media, the National Police Service issued a statement on Friday, June 26, 2026, condemning what it described as unprofessional conduct by officers involved in the arrest.

The police said preliminary findings indicate the arrest may not have followed established Standard Operating Procedures designed to protect the dignity and rights of suspects.

In the statement, the service maintained that it has zero tolerance for brutality, misconduct and excessive force, adding that the Inspector General has directed the Internal Affairs Unit to conduct investigations and submit a report within seven days.

Government, disability rights defenders demand justice

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the government had already directed internal investigations into how Mbugua was handled during the protests.

“The government through the police will conduct internal investigations on the manner in which James Mbugua was manhandled in Nakuru during the protests on June 25, 2026. Persons with disabilities deserve to be treated with dignity and in a humane manner,” Mwaura said on Saturday, June 27, 2026.

Nominated Senator Crystal Asige also weighed in through her X account, saying the public concern goes beyond arrest itself and focuses on the violent and degrading manner in which the activist was treated.

“The public outcry is less about just an arrest, but the violent, demeaning and dehumanising one witnessed here. Every Kenyan deserves dignity, protection by the law, and a police service, not a police force,” Asige stated.

She welcomed the government’s acknowledgement but insisted accountability must follow.

“The rights and dignity of persons with disabilities are not negotiable. They are guaranteed by our Constitution and must be upheld at all times,” she added.

The Nakuru incident has now reignited a national debate on police accountability and whether vulnerable Kenyans, particularly persons living with disabilities, are adequately protected during security operations, even as Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the arrest of over 300 people on June 25, 2026.