This archive report was first published on 25 July 2020.
Published on July 25, 2020, the events surrounding Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja's arrest and guilty plea have left many Kenyans questioning the notion of impunity and the rule of law.
Sakaja, a 35-year-old senator and former leader of various organizations, including the Student Organisation of Nairobi University and the Young Parliamentary Association, was arrested on July 18, 2020, at the Seraph Ladies Lounge for violating curfew hours.
Initially, Sakaja threatened law enforcement officers with transfers and declined to obey the following day's summons. However, he later made a public apology and pleaded guilty before the Kasarani Stadium special court, paying a Sh15,000 fine.
The backlash against Sakaja is not only due to his actions but also because of the timing. Just two weeks prior, President Uhuru Kenyatta had partially lifted Covid-19 lockdown measures, appealing for personal discipline from all Kenyans.
The Seraph saga has also highlighted the issue of impunity, where the rich and influential are often exempt from following the same laws as the poor and voiceless. This phenomenon is not unique to Kenya, as seen in the cases of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte.
As Amnesty International Executive Director notes, 'the real question is if we get up differently.' The Seraph saga serves as a powerful reminder that we must respect law enforcement officers acting lawfully and uphold public health guidelines in all our spaces.
Sakaja's decision to resign as committee chair and plead guilty has been seen as an act to restore his integrity and a powerful statement that he, and us all, must respect law enforcement officers.
