NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 30 – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna now says that the Azimio One Kenya Coalition will no longer be notifying the police about their planned demonstrations.
Speaking during a morning show on Citizen TV Thursday, Sifuna argued that serving notice or not makes no difference as police always disrupt what he called legal and peaceful protests.
“It does not matter how much we comply with the law they are still going to unconstitutionally declare our protests illegal. So, we are no longer going to issue notices; let us exercise our rights under Article 37; protests will happen spontaneously anywhere anytime without any notification to the police,” Sifuna said.
“We have realized that the notifications are no longer invitations for them to provide security but are invitations for them to visit violence on us.”
The Nairobi Senator further stated that police should avoid putting barricades on the roads and accused them of not respecting their rights to protest as enshrined in the constitution
“But for police action, these protests would be peaceful. Remove police action and you will see our people will come to town dance at the KICC the way we came to Uhuru Park to swear in baba say what we want to say because we have the freedom of speech, the freedom of speech is not limited and leave,” he said.
The government has already declared the weekly Monday and Thursday protests illegal and vowed to deal with those who will infringe on other people’s rights.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is set to issue new policy directives to Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome Friday that will ensure public safety during demonstrations.
The policy directives will guide the arrest and prosecution of those that destroy private property during protests, and the protection of private businesses, including those facing attacks and those that suspect they might be targets for attack.
He said that the policy drives which shall take effect on March 31 2023, shall specify the provision of security to all persons whose private property has been violated and looted during the protests and to any other person with established, well-founded fear or apprehension that their property is or may be the target of violation, destruction or looting.
“The current portrait of anarchy, and the unfolding criminal madness must stop. Only firm enforcement of the law stands between us and lawlessness and full-blown chaos. Any aggravation of the prevailing situation would certainly set back the Country. We must halt the descent,” he said Wednesday.
On two occasions in the last fortnight, Nairobi and Kisumu cities have witnessed widespread violence, looting and invasion of private property by hordes of criminals masquerading as either political protesters or persons aggrieved by historical land injustices.
The policy will also see the investigations and accountability of all persons found to have committed criminal acts against any person or the property of any person during the demonstrations.
He went on to say that all streets, estates and neighborhoods in Nairobi, Kisumu and any other place where there are reasonable grounds to believe that violent protests may erupt in the future be provided with round-the-clock security to ensure that law abiding persons go about their activities without intimidation, threats or disruption of their daily activities.
