This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, City lawyer and former journalist Soyinka Lempaa was briefly detained by officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) for allegedly taking photos of the protected Times Towers building in Nairobi.
According to a Facebook post by Mr. Lempaa, he was detained at the first floor of the building that houses the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices and refused to hand over his phone to the police.
Mr. Lempaa shared the photos that landed him in trouble, appearing clueless that he had broken the law.
It later emerged that Mr. Lempaa's phone was confiscated by the ATPU and he was released without any charges.
Mr. Lempaa's arrest elicited mixed reactions from members of the public, with some arguing that he had committed no crime and others questioning the legality of his detention.
According to a notice published in the Kenya Gazette on April 17, 2019, Interior CS Fred Matiang'i listed any building that houses the KRA as a protected area, including Times Towers.
Photography is usually restricted in protected areas, and Mr. Lempaa's actions were deemed a breach of this rule.
