Comedian-turned-activist Eric Omondi has been arrested in Nairobi CBD while collecting signatures for his campaign to reduce Kenya’s 47 counties to eight.

Omondi was arrested on Monday, September 7, at the Nairobi National Archives, where he was leading a peaceful campaign to gather public support for proposed changes to Kenya’s governance structure.

Videos from the scene showed plain-clothes police officers placing Omondi in handcuffs before taking him into a police vehicle.

During the arrest, Omondi was heard asking officers why he was being arrested and where he was being taken. The reason for his arrest had not been publicly explained at the time of the reports.

Omondi’s campaign seeks to replace the current 47 counties with eight larger regional units based on Kenya’s former regional structure.

He has also proposed scrapping the Senate and the position of Women Representatives, while reducing the number of Members of County Assembly and removing nominated representatives.

The activist argues that Kenya has too many political and administrative positions, creating a heavy financial burden for taxpayers.

He has been urging Kenyans to sign a petition supporting the proposed constitutional changes. His campaign is targeting one million signatures before the proposal can proceed through the constitutional process.

Omondi has argued that reducing the number of counties and political offices would lower the cost of running government and allow more public resources to be directed towards essential services.

The latest arrest adds to several previous encounters between Omondi and authorities during his activism. He has previously been arrested during protests and other public campaigns.

The circumstances surrounding Monday’s arrest remained unclear, with authorities expected to provide more information on the matter.

Meanwhile, Omondi’s supporters are expected to continue pushing the signature campaign as the debate over the cost of Kenya’s governance structure gains attention.