Civil society organisations have condemned police for using excessive force to crack down on peaceful demonstrators.
Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, July 23, 2023, the organisations under the Uchaguzi platform said they were appalled by the unlawful arrests of peaceful protesters.
“We are appalled by the incidences witnessed recently where peaceful protesters exercising their democratic right to picket were met with unnecessary and unlawful arrests by police,” Brenda Isabel, a senior governance and elections specialist at the Executive Director of the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA), said.
The group further called on President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga to engage in dialogue to end the current political impasse.
The group’s condemnation of police violence came a day after Azimio announced that protests will resume next Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
Azimio leaders insisted that the protests will be peaceful while speaking during a press briefing at the SKM Command Centre on Saturday.
“Our peaceful demos will continue next Wednesday and we will notify all OCSs in the country,” Mwangi wa Iria said.
The former Murang’a governor further noted that Azimio was not willing to engage the government, adding that atrocities had been meted out on innocent citizens.
Several individuals and leaders allied to Raila were this week nabbed in connection with the 3-day anti-government protests.
They included; Raila’s spokesman Dennis Onyango, bodyguard Maurice Ogeta, Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, blogger Pauline Njoroge among others.
They were all arrested at various places within Nairobi County and whisked to various destinations that are unknown to their family members, friends and acquaintances.
Upon his release, Raila’s bodyguard said that police demanded to know the routes that the Azimio leader was supposed to use while protesting.
