Kenya Kwanza leaders urge Police IG, DPP to arrest and charge violent demonstrators

The Kenya Kwanza leadership now wants the Inspector General of Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to arrest and charge opposition supporters who resort to violent criminal acts during their anti-government protests.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and  his Senate counterpart Aaron Cheruiyot, in a joint statement to newsrooms on Saturday, want the State agencies to also take action against politicians responsible for mobilizing and funding the said protestors.

The duo noted that, as elected leaders themselves, they will endeavour to cooperate with the security apparatus to ensure there is no loss of lives during protests within their jurisdictions.

“We call on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate all acts of criminality, arrest perpetrators and charge them,” they said.

“But it is not just the violent demonstrators who should be prosecuted; the financiers and mobilisers of criminal gangs should also be charged with the various crimes that their money procures. We also urge them to investigate the planned mobilization of ethnic criminal gangs being deployed to cause anarchy in strategic areas across the country.”

Ichung’wah and Cheruiyot hit out at Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga for mounting what they referred to as a “campaign of violence, bloodshed and anarchy” following his election loss.

They noted that the Odinga-led protests have caused the loss of innocent lives, torching of government and private buildings, as well as massive destruction of property.

The Majority Leaders termed the demos as Odinga’s attempt to force his way into the Kenya Kwanza government through unorthodox means; something they termed as nothing but a mere pipe-dream.

“The Constitution sets out clear parameters for demonstrations in Kenya, the most basic of which is the requirement to notify the police, maintain order and keep the peace. It is clear that all these legal requirements have been consistently flouted with abandon, but also with impunity,” read the statement.

“The truth is these protests are a product of a refusal to accept reality and the desire to backdoor a way into government. The intention is to flout the law, the design is to cause chaos and make businesses suffer in the false hope that this will cause a power sharing arrangement.”

They added: “In this blackmail campaign, he will fail. For the avoidance of doubt the Handshake is not and will never be an option, now and in the future.”

The lawmakers alleged that the Azimio political faction, during this past Wednesday’s protests, mobilized and ferried armed gangs from other areas to destroy property and businesses owned by people from other communities in Kitengela, Mlolongo and Emali areas.

They claimed that this hired gang was, in turn, paid between Ksh.500 and Ksh.3,000 each to commit the said atrocities by wealthy sponsors close to Odinga in the former government.

“On the question of the cost of living we must reiterate that demonstrations are not a solution and further that Odinga and company are not offering any solutions. The truth is, they have none; other than Odinga, the individual in his characteristic style is in pursuit of power through the backdoor,” added the statement.

“Our message to Raila Odinga is unequivocal: On Wednesday, we shall protect our Country, our people, our property and our democracy.”