Fikirini bodyguard detained as youths call for his resignation

Youth Affairs and Creative Economy PS Fikirini Jacobs Kahindi at a past event. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

A bodyguard attached to Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs Fikirini Jacobs has been detained as probe into the shooting of youth mobiliser Cecil Ouma continues.

Sources privy to the investigations said the officer was inside the vehicle by the time of Ouma’s shooting on June 30, 2026 after an event at Karikor social hall.

“We have detained him as the investigations continues but it does not mean he is guilty, we may also present him in court for miscellaneous applications to seek for more time to complete investigations.”

Earlier, detectives had confiscated two firearms from two bodyguards attached to the PS after they recorded their statements over the shooting.

Investigators said the firearms will be taken for ballistic examination to ascertain which one was used to discharge the ammunition.

 Already PS Fikirini  has recorded his statement at the Nairobi Area police headquarters promising that he will be available to assist in the ongoing investigation into the shooting of the 28-year-old mobiliser.

“The circumstances surrounding Ouma's death remain distressing and are the subject of an active investigation, no family should have to endure such a loss and no young person should lose their life in such circumstances,” PS Fikirini stated.

He added that he had honoured an invitation by investigators to give his account of the events leading up to the incident, saying he had recorded a statement on "what really transpired."

Meanwhile, a section of the members of the Youth Council Nairobi are calling on Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs to step aside until the investigations into the shooting of the youth mobiliser are concluded.

Speaking in Nairobi the youths led by Acting Chairperson of National Youth Council Leo Ooko added that after Ouma was shot dead they were denied an opportunity to view his body at Chiromo Mortuary.

"We want to strongly condemn the killing of Cecil Ouma, a youth Mobiliser who attended a peaceful forum organised by the PS," Ooko stated 

Adding that, "Ouma's body lies lifeless at the Chiromo Funeral home but because we are peaceful citizens, we have chosen to address this matter diplomatically,"

At the same time, they announced their plans to march to Talanta Plaza on Monday, July 6th, to present their grievances over the abrupt postponement of the National Youth Council (NYC) elections, an exercise many had waited over a decade to take part in.

The planned demonstration comes following an announcement by the National Steering Committee (NSC) overseeing the elections, announcement that the polls originally scheduled to run from July 5th to July 26th, 2026, had been pushed back indefinitely. 

The elections were to be conducted under Gazette Notice No. 5586 of April 17th, 2026 and would have marked the first time in 14 years that Kenyan youth got to elect their representatives to the Council.

 "We categorically reject the manner in which this postponement has been communicated. A constitutional electoral process cannot be altered through an internal memo or press statement," the youths said in a joint statement

Adding that, " any decision affecting elections established under the law must itself comply with the law and applicable legal framework, the rule of law must prevail over administrative convenience,"

In its statement, the Steering Committee said the postponement was necessary to protect the integrity, credibility, and fairness of the process and to ensure full compliance with the National Youth Council Regulations, 2021. 

The committee pointed to several outstanding requirements that still needed to be met before the elections could proceed, including a nationwide voter education campaign, completion of voter and candidate registration, training of election officials and the rollout of an election management system.

The NSC further stated that it was "acutely aware" of how significant the elections are to the country's youth, and acknowledged the time, effort and resources that aspirants and partners had already put into preparing for the vote.