NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 25 – Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a 17-year-old boy after he was filmed desecrating the Kenyan flag during a football match at Nyayo Stadium.
The shocking incident, which has since gone viral, unfolded during a CAF Confederation Cup clash between Mogadishu City Club and Kenya Police FC.
In a second video, widely circulated online, a Mogadishu supporter dressed in a traditional Somali sarong approaches a Police FC fan, grabs the Kenyan flag, and tosses it to the ground in what appeared to be a deliberate act.
The scenes sparked immediate outrage both inside the stadium and on social media. Many Kenyans described it as a “blatant act of disrespect” against national symbols.
DCI Issues Statement
In a statement issued Thursday, the DCI confirmed the arrest of one suspect while vowing to track down the other individual.
“The incident took place on 20/09/2025 at Nyayo Stadium C where two individuals were captured on camera disrespecting the national flag—an act that is both unlawful and deeply offensive to the values we uphold as a nation,” the agency said.
Detectives added that efforts to arrest the second suspect, believed to still be in Kenya, are ongoing.
The Law on Flag Desecration
Kenya has clear laws on respect for its national symbols. Section 2B of the National Flag, Emblems and Names Act, Cap 99, states:
“Any person who shows disrespect, in speech, manner or writing, to or with reference to the National Anthem, or to any specified emblem, likeness or name, or any representation thereof, shall be guilty of an offence.”
Political Reactions
On Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen directed police to arrest, prosecute, and deport those involved. His statement came shortly after Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, condemned the acts and stressed that they did not represent Somali values.
“Hatutakubali mtu yeyote, iwe Mkenya ama mgeni, kucheza na uhuru wetu and our symbols of national unity, including our national flag. So, bwana IG, take the necessary legal action. Let the law take its course. “As a Ministry of Interior, we must show the world that we take our national flag seriously,” he said.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said: “I have already directed the DCI, ya kwamba huyo mtu anakanyaga bendera yetu ya Kenya…bendera ile ilipiganiwa hapa mpaka tukapata uhuru wetu…hiyo anatuchezea na hatuwezi kubali kamwe,” said IG Kanja.
The incident comes at a sensitive time, as Kenya prepares for the 2027 general elections, with national unity and respect for state symbols under heightened scrutiny.
