On Tuesday, while en route to the State House, comedian Eric Omondi was detained for the third time.
Eric was pulling a wooden cart called a “mkokoteni” that he said contained thousands of resumes from young people looking for work. The delivery of them to the State House was his primary objective.
The comedian criticized the government for failing to provide jobs for millions of Kenyans while he was hauling his cart. Omondi intended to present the resumes to President William Ruto in order to demonstrate the severity of the nation’s unemployment problem.
“Mimi staki maisha ya watu hatarini kuweka. Ziko hapa 3 million napelekea mheshimiwa William Samoei Ruto aone watu wake wenye wameenda university na hawana kazi, mimi nilienda nicacollect CVs “said he.
This is equivalent to: “I don’t want to endanger people’s lives. In order for Hon. William Ruto to witness how his people have attended universities but do not have jobs, I gathered three million CVs, which I am bringing to him “.
However he was brought to Central Police Station after being taken into custody along Uhuru Highway. Omondi had vowed to keep pressuring the government to address the high cost of living, but he hoped the uprising wouldn’t turn violent. All he asked for, he claimed, was for the government to pay attention to the screams of the people on whose behalf he speaks.
The comedian has been charged with causing a public disturbance by holding an unlawful assembly after being arrested twice in the past few weeks.
He was first detained on February 21 while leading a demonstration against the expense of living along with 17 other people. He was once more detained on March 1 while handing out unga to Kenyans at City Stadium. On Monday, the case involving the initial arrest was postponed until May.