TikTok content creator and businessman Kakan Maiyo has been released on a cash bail of Ksh.10,000 after spending two nights in custody at Muthaiga Police Station. His release comes amid growing scrutiny over freedom of expression and dissent in Kenya, particularly on digital platforms.
Maiyo, known for his outspoken TikTok videos criticising police brutality and government impunity, was accused of incitement and alarming publication after allegedly making inflammatory remarks targeting police officers and their families. Authorities initially planned to arraign him at the Milimani Law Courts but instead returned him to the station before releasing him on bail.
Detained for Content Targeting Security Agencies
Speaking after his release, Maiyo revealed that investigators questioned him over several of his videos and confiscated his mobile phone as part of the probe. He maintained that he was acting independently and expressed concern over what he described as intimidation aimed at silencing critical voices.
They wanted to know whether I am acting in a group but I told them that those were my personal views,” Maiyo said.
His lawyer, Phillip Maiyo, dismissed the charges as “baseless,” arguing that they fall far below the threshold required to prosecute a case of incitement.
The allegations were neither here nor there. Kan is a man of God and he was doing the Lord’s work,” he stated.
Maiyo’s uncle, Peter Kakan, echoed the call for justice and reconciliation, urging President William Ruto to support a national dialogue on the current state of civic space and police conduct.
My prayer to the President is that we have a national conversation so that everyone knows his role,” he said.
Viral Clip That Sparked Arrest
Maiyo’s arrest is believed to have been triggered by one of his viral TikTok videos in which he issued a stark warning to security officers allegedly behind enforced disappearances of government critics. In the clip, which has drawn both praise and criticism, Maiyo tells police:
A time is coming when you will go to abduct someone and you will not return to your stations alive. Mark my words.”
He continues:
The wrath of God is upon this government. When it strikes, none of you who have been involved in the abductions of Kenyans will survive. Your families will cry the same tears these families have cried.”
No amount of arrest, abduction, or killing will silence Kenyans. It is a waste of time.”
Known Voice in Activism and Business
Aside from his bold political content, Maiyo also uses his platform to market his logistics company, positioning himself as both an entrepreneur and a digital activist. His consistent criticism of state violence and calls for civic resistance have earned him a substantial following on TikTok, especially among young Kenyans disillusioned with rising cases of police brutality and enforced disappearances.
Wider Context: Crackdown on Digital Dissent
Maiyo’s case comes in the wake of nationwide Gen Z-led protests, where more than 30 people were killed in confrontations with police. His arrest is being seen by some as part of a broader crackdown on digital dissent and a test of how far the government is willing to go in regulating online speech.
Human rights organisations and civil society activists have called for greater protection of freedom of expression, particularly for online creators and activists who are using social media to expose state abuses and mobilise public accountability.
Maiyo is expected to report back to authorities as investigations continue.
