Police in Nairobi have arrested five suspects accused of stealing mobile phones from supporters during Saturday's chaotic ODM rally at Jacaranda Grounds, and recovered eight handsets believed to have been taken from attendees.

In a statement, the National Police Service said officers from Starehe Sub-County moved in on Saturday evening in what it described as a swift operation, shortly after the rally ended in confusion. A search of the suspects turned up the eight phones, which have been kept as exhibits.

"The suspects were placed in police custody awaiting arraignment," the police said. The five have not been named and are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Rallies 'not a platform for crime'

The police warned that political rallies must never be used by criminal gangs to target, harass or steal from members of the public, and urged Kenyans who lose property or spot suspicious people at gatherings to report to the nearest police station, the toll-free 999 and 911 lines or the DCI hotline.

The warning comes as the country heads deeper into campaigns for the 2027 General Election, with large crowds turning up at political events in the capital and elsewhere.

A rally that ended in chaos

Saturday's meeting was the climax of ODM's month-long Mwezi wa Baba events marking one year since the death of party leader Raila Odinga. Senior leaders including Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Minority Leader Junet Mohamed attended.

Trouble started when aspirants and their security tried to reach the main dais. Unknown people then stormed the stage and grabbed the microphone, and police moved in, leading to running battles that brought the event to an abrupt end. Who was behind the stage invasion, and what triggered it, remained unclear on Monday.

Pressure on police over goons

The arrests come amid growing concern over hired gangs at political meetings. On Sunday, goons also disrupted a Radio Citizen event in Nairobi, and Inspector General Douglas Kanja has directed commanders to intensify a crackdown on gangs and goons ahead of the 2027 polls.

No one had been charged over the stage invasion itself by Monday, and the police did not say whether the five suspects are linked to the group that stormed the dais.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke (ODM Jacaranda rally). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.