Court Holds Somali Teenagers Over Flag Desecration Incident
Two Somali nationals accused of disrespecting the Kenyan flag during a recent football match will remain in custody at the Gigiri Child Protection Unit until the court confirms their ages and background.
The teenagers, aged 14 and 17, appeared before Principal Magistrate Rose Gitau at the Milimani Children’s Court on Thursday. However, they did not enter a plea as the prosecution indicated that no official records had been provided to establish their ages, and a social inquiry report from the Children’s Office in Eastleigh was still pending.
Prosecutor Leah Ngatia requested that the plea be deferred until both an age assessment and social inquiry report are filed, noting the seriousness of the offence. She added that holding the minors in a government facility would safeguard their interests during the ongoing investigations.
Defence lawyer Ishmael Nyaribo supported the deferment but opposed the idea of detaining the boys at Kamiti Youth Facility. He argued that exposing them to hardened offenders would be harmful, urging the court to consider either releasing them to relatives or placing them in a child-appropriate facility such as Gigiri Police Station.
“These are children who need proper correction, not exposure to criminal influences,” Nyaribo told the court.
In her directions, Magistrate Gitau ordered that the suspects be held at Gigiri Child Protection Unit and that their passports remain with the court. She further instructed the Children’s Office to prepare a comprehensive report within four days covering their age, family situation, nationality, and residence status in Kenya.
The matter will be mentioned again on October 2, when the minors are expected to take plea.
The arrests followed the circulation of a viral video from the CAF Champions League match between Mogadishu City Club and Kenya Police FC on September 20. The footage showed fans trampling and mishandling the Kenyan flag, sparking widespread condemnation. One supporter was captured rubbing the flag against his crotch, while another, dressed in a Somali sarong, seized it from a Police FC fan before discarding it.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen strongly condemned the incident, terming it “unfortunate” and instructing that all those responsible be arrested and prosecuted. He further warned that any foreigners involved in the matter risk deportation.
