- He took a video in the company of Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo to announce his freedom.
- “ I am safe thanks to everyone thanks to LSK,” he said in the video released at about 10pm.
Image: SCREENGRAB
Kenyan content creator Billy Simani popularly known as “Crazy Nairobian” was Saturday night released from police custody after hours of detention.
Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo helped secure his freedom.
"As LSK, we earlier thought he had freed. But when we sent someone to the station we found that he was not there and had not been released," she said.
"When we got a tip-off, we swung into action to get him out of the situation."
He took a video in the company of Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo to announce his freedom.
“ I am safe thanks to everyone thanks to LSK,” he said in the video released at about 10 pm.
They were at a restaurant that they had driven to after his release for food.
On Saturday, 25 human rights associations of content creators, lawyers, medical officers and human rights defenders across the country called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to clarify the whereabouts of the content creator.
The agencies included the Bloggers Association of Kenya, The Law Society, the Kenya Medical Association, the Defenders Coalition, the Independent Medical Legal Union and Amnesty International Kenya.
Simani had been missing since Friday, his family and friends said.
Many online attributed the release to their push.
Earlier on, there were conflicting reports and confusion when police released another detained content creator, Kevin Wafula Bwire, from Muthaiga police station.
This prompted those present to mistake him for Simani.
Police at Muthaiga police station said they were not holding Simani.
They said they had only Bwire since Friday after he had been taken there by a team from DCI headquarters.
Bwire said he was told to be ready for a court appearance on Monday.
Blogger Dennis Itumbi who had been pushing for Simani’s release said he had been misled and misinformed about the issue.
“The content creator arrested for threatening a senior public servant is WAFULA BWIRE - he was FREED this evening after the complaint was withdrawn. His relatives received him,” Itumbi said.
Also freed was Stephen Kariuki, who was being held in Nakuru on a similar offence.
"So, where is Billy? Anyone with details on where he was arrested, please DM me. Let us trace him, I have also requested the Police to check if Billy Simani is in their custody,” added Itumbi in the post.
There was pressure from other content creators, human rights organizations and lawyers for the release of Simani and others.
A platform on X, formerly, Twitter had been created to discuss the issue and attracted the attention of more than 55,000 followers including President William Ruto.
He was arrested Friday over claims of sending threatening messages to an undisclosed person.
Simani is among those who have been detained over ongoing protests over a proposed increase in taxes.