Calls Grow for Release of CPMK Cadre Mulinge Muteti as Booker Condemns Political Repression

By John Kariuki

Calls for the immediate release of Mulinge Muteti, a militant cadre of the Communist Party Marxist Kenya, are gaining momentum as activists, labour movements, and progressive organisations condemn what they describe as a politically motivated arrest aimed at silencing working class organising.

Mulinge is widely regarded within leftist and labour circles as a seasoned propagandist and agitator who has spent years organising, educating, and mobilising workers and poor peasants around issues of exploitation, inequality, and social justice. Supporters insist he is not a criminal but a committed revolutionary whose work has consistently centred on advancing the interests of the working class.

Communist Party Marxist Kenya Secretary General Booker has strongly criticised the arrest, describing it as an attack not only on Mulinge as an individual but on the broader workers’ movement. In a statement circulated online, Booker said the detention reflects a pattern in which the ruling class resorts to coercion when it can no longer respond to the legitimate demands of the people.

According to Booker, the arrest of Mulinge Muteti must be understood within the wider context of shrinking democratic space and growing intolerance toward political organising. He warned that criminalising activists and organisers is a deliberate strategy to intimidate workers and suppress resistance at a time of deepening economic hardship.

Labour activists argue that Mulinge has consistently stood at the forefront of workers’ struggles, helping to build class consciousness and collective action across various sectors. They say his only so called crime is loyalty to the working class and an unwavering commitment to revolutionary change.

Progressive groups have framed the arrest as a direct attack on workers, poor peasants, and all democratic forces, warning that repression against one organiser sends a chilling message to movements pushing for economic justice and social transformation.

Political observers note that Kenya has a long history of state repression against radical and leftist voices, particularly those organising at the grassroots. They argue that the renewed targeting of activists reflects growing anxiety within the political establishment amid rising living costs, unemployment, and public discontent.

As solidarity campaigns intensify, activists have rallied behind the slogan “An injury to one is an injury to all,” emphasising collective resistance and unity across movements. Calls for Mulinge’s unconditional release continue to spread on social media and within labour networks, with supporters vowing to sustain pressure until he is freed.

Supporters insist that genuine democracy cannot exist where political organising is treated as a crime, and they maintain that arrests and intimidation will not silence the struggle for workers’ rights, dignity, and social justice.