Bill Choja Okane
The High Court has ordered popular Mugithi artist and police officer Samuel Muchoki, widely known as Samidoh, to surrender his passport amid allegations of deserting his official duties, raised by the National Police Service (NPS).
In a ruling delivered on Friday, July 25, the court granted Samidoh anticipatory bail set at Ksh200,000 and issued an order prohibiting his arrest.
The directive comes while the singer is currently in the United States, reportedly on a music tour. He was recently seen performing at the inaugural Ngemi Cia Ruraya Kikuyu cultural festival in Seattle, Washington—an event attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his wife, Pastor Dorcas. Samidoh also performed at another function hosted by Gachagua and has since shared photos and videos of his performances and personal moments abroad on social media.
In June 2025, the NPS ordered Samidoh’s immediate arrest, accusing him of deserting duty after failing to report to his new post at the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) in Gilgil, following his redeployment on May 27, 2025.
A police report signed by the ASTU commandant and obtained by Kenyans.co.ke confirmed the artist’s failure to report back to duty after his official leave ended on May 27. The report stated:
“Please be informed that No. 247569/2013040010 APC Samuel Ndirangu Muchoki of the Anti-Stock Theft Unit ‘MTD’ Company is on the above subject. The officer was granted off-duty and was supposed to report back on 27/05/2025, but he failed to do so. Since then, he has not been seen, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. Efforts to trace him have been futile. He has now absented himself without leave for more than 10 days and is hereby declared a deserter with effect from 06/06/2025.”
The controversy escalated after a viral video showed Samidoh performing at an event where the crowd chanted the phrase “Wantam”—a slogan interpreted as a call for President William Ruto to serve only one term. The artist appeared to encourage the crowd during the chants, an act reportedly seen by top government officials as a violation of the Service Standing Orders (SSO), triggering his sudden transfer and subsequent disciplinary action.
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