The Saba Saba protests in Vihiga county initially begun as a peaceful protest until when the police begun a violence encounter by throwing teargas to the protesters.
As the protesters marched towards the relevant state agency to present their petition on high cost of living experienced across the country, police arrested eight human rights defenders and detained them for hours without informing them of the charges against them.
Other human rights defenders joined in and protested against the arrest of their colleagues outside Mbale Police Station. Defenders Coalition and other Civil Society Organisations paid the cash bail of the arrested HRDs which ensured their release,