City lawyer Fred Ogola was among tens of protestants arrested on Saturday afternoon.
They were arrested outside the Vigilance House ahead of the Mwananchi bill they set to launch at Kaloleni Hall.
They were also protesting over what they termed as 'the high cost of living" across the country.
Speaking after the arrest, Ogola termed the move illegal saying they had the relevant approvals to hold a protest.
“Here is the notification and those arresting me must be aware that we followed the law. We concerned citizens must address this,” Ogola told the police.
He said they won't be intimidated by the arrests noting that they must liberate Kenyans from what he termed as 'bad governance'.
"We will not allow to be intimidated and we will continue with the protests," he noted.
Joseph Mugachia, a city businessman arrested alongside Ogolla, said that the government should listen to wananchi instead of intimidation.
“If we want, we must change this nation. We must be involved in politics,” Mugachia said.
He added that the group was preparing to launch the drive to collect one million signatures to curb the president's and parliament's expansive powers.
They said the initiative, spearheaded by businessmen, professionals, civil society groups, and students, seeks to trigger a referendum.
The protests come after the concerns raised by a section of Kenyans over the finance bill.
While a section of Kenyans feel the bill is punitive, some feel it will address the economic challenges facing the nation.