Booker Ngesa Omole, Kenyan political leader and the general secretary of the Communist Party Marxist–Kenya (CPM-K), was abducted and brutally assaulted by officers of the Kenya Police Service late on February 23, according to a public statement issued by the CPM-K.
In two consecutive public statements issued on February 24 and 25, the party alleged that Omole was seized by officers of the Kenya Police Service in Isiolo and transported overnight before being held at Mlolongo Police Station.
At the time of publication, Omole is still in state custody. There is limited public information about the charges on which he was arrested.
“This was a kidnapping”
According to the CPM-K, Omole was violently taken on the evening of February 23. The party insists the incident did not constitute a lawful arrest.
“This was not an arrest. This was not lawful detention. This was a kidnapping,” the party said in its initial statement, demanding Omole’s immediate and unconditional release and calling for accountability for all officers involved.
The party alleges that Omole was severely beaten during the operation, describing injuries that include a broken tooth and a finger cut with a sharp object. In its second statement, the party added that he was dragged between locations overnight, denied food and water, and later found in what it described as a traumatic state.
The CPM-K characterized the incident as state violence in its naked form, aimed at intimidating not only Omole but the broader organized working class and progressive movements in Kenya.
The party’s statement calls on workers, youth, trade unions, student groups, women’s organizations, human rights groups, and all democratic forces to mobilize in solidarity, defend democratic rights, and pressure the authorities for Omole’s release.
“No prison can contain the will of the people. No baton can beat down the truth. No regime can stop the march of history,” the statement declares.
A history of being targeted
The incident on February 23 was not the first time Booker Ngesa Omole has faced violent assaults, including an assassination attempt at his home in early 2025 and gunfire at a party vehicle. The party attributed both of these attacks to hostile political forces against them. Omole’s outspoken criticism of the government and high level of visibility, both domestically and internationally, has long placed him at odds with state and paramilitary actors.
The CPM-K further claims that since his detention, police have restricted Omole’s access to legal counsel, his comrades, and medical care. The party alleges that officers at Mlolongo Police Station have refused to allow discussions regarding cash bail and have prevented communication in order to conceal evidence of mistreatment.
Lawyers with the party are reportedly working to secure his release. Members of the party have mounted a vigil outside the police station, demanding:
- Immediate access to full legal representation
- Immediate medical attention
- The dropping of what the party calls “false and trumped-up charges”
- Full accountability for officers allegedly involved in the assault
Claims of political intimidation
In its statements, the party characterized the incident as part of a broader pattern of political repression aimed at silencing dissenting and leftist voices in Kenya. The party accused the government of using state security agencies to intimidate organized workers and progressive movements.
They emphasize that Booker’s detention is an attack on democratic space and political organizing, calling on workers, peasants, youth movements, trade unions, student organizations, human rights groups, and international solidarity networks to mobilize in support.
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