Kilifi police interrogated environmental activist Phyllis Omido over social media posts alleging her home was under attack by armed men, which authorities denied.
Omido, director of the Centre for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, posted on Facebook that her compound was surrounded by gunmen firing live bullets, with her and her children trapped in a bathroom. The post triggered concerns about potential targeting due to her activism against lead poisoning in Kilifi's Owino Uhuru slums.
Acting Kilifi Police Commander Kennedy Osando refuted the claims, stating the individuals involved were angry manual laborers pelting a neighbor's gate with stones over unpaid wages. 'There were no live bullets fired. We want to know why she claimed her home was under attack when the youths were at the neighbor's house,' Osando said.
The police reported six men were arrested for causing disturbances. A neighbor reportedly paid one laborer who failed to distribute funds to colleagues, sparking the conflict. Osando emphasized, 'You cannot raise alarm without facts,' while noting the case would not be dismissed.
Omido, the first Kenyan woman to win the Goldman Prize for environmental protection, gained international recognition for her campaign against a lead-contaminated smelter.
