Comedians and digital creators Sammy Kioko and Tom Daktari have been arrested by police outside the Machakos County Finance Offices on Tuesday 31st March, 2026.
They got arrested while staging a peaceful protest over unpaid tenders amounting to Ksh 19 million allegedly owed to Kioko and his associates by the county government.
During the arrest, an unidentified plain-clothes officer was filmed wrestling Kioko to the ground, with witnesses alleging he sustained bodily injuries.
It remained unclear whether the duo was subsequently taken to a police station.
The protest follows Kioko’s public calls for collective action at a press briefing on March 27, where he invited media, contractors, and suppliers to speak out against delayed payments, urging them not to succumb to pressure and describing the fight for timely settlement as a matter of principle.
However, Machakos County Secretary Muya Ndambuki dismissed the demonstration as a deliberate campaign of misinformation.
He added that Kioko is not a registered director of any company currently doing business with the county, a position the government cites as justification for withholding payment.
Kioko has previously revealed that the non-payment has severely impacted his businesses and personal well-being, and that several attempts to engage senior officials, including Governor Wavinya Ndeti, have been unsuccessful.
Before his arrest, Sammy Kioko took to his Instagram saying: “Impunity has a deadline! Suppliers won’t be silenced, won’t be intimidated! It’s Time, Machakos County HQ.”
The county, on its part, insists it has been settling all pending bills, including those inherited from previous administrations.
