Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir calls for peaceful protests

Valerian Khakayi

July 2, 2024
2:57 pm

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Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, urged anti-government protesters to observe the law while protesting.

While addressing the protesters in Mombasa, Nassir commended the youths for exercising their democratic rights without being mobilized by the politicians adding that they should not destroy property.

Nassir’s urge to police

Nassir further called the police to protect the protestors from the looters and hired goons who wanted to disturb the peaceful protest.

“Mimi niko na vijana wa Mombasa watu wajitokeze bila wanasiasa wajitokeze wenyewe waweze kufanya maandamano ya amani ,” Nassir said.

“Wamombasa mimi nawapenda Mombasa ni yetu hatuitaji kuichoma anaye bia watu kwa barabara anayebora mali ya watu tunasema police kazi yao nikuchunga waandamanaji wachunge wate wezi wasiibie waandamanaji.”

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir. PHOTO/@A_S_Nassir/X

Protest and police brutality

The ongoing anti-government peaceful protest is in its third week with protesters calling for the government to address economic constraints.

However, the police have been accused of interfering in the peaceful protest and inflicting injuries to the protestors.

Chief Justice Martha Koome on, July 1, 2024, condemned the recent spate of abduction cases and the excessive use of force by police officers while dealing with protesters.

While quoting Article 37 of the Constitution, CJ Koome insisted that she did not envision that anyone would lose their life while exercising this right. She added that life remains sacrosanct as protected under Article 26 of the Constitution.

anti-government protesters — Anti-government protesters.PHOTO/ @bonifacemwangi/ X

“When the Constitution provided for the right to peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities in Article 37, it did not envision that anyone would lose their life while exercising this right. Life remains sacrosanct as protected under Article 26 of the Constitution, and law enforcement should exercise proportionate force in balancing the protection of law and order with the rights of protesters,” CJ Koome said.

“We should not witness cases of excessive use of force that threaten the lives of peaceful and unarmed protesters. I, therefore, condemn the excessive use of force on protestors that we have witnessed and urge that the perpetrators be disciplined, charged and prosecuted following the law. The State’s responsibility is to protect life, not take it away.”