- Major roads and especially those leading to State House were barricaded by police from Monday night ahead of the protests.
- There are almost 1,200 new officers who were mobilized from other areas and brought to Nairobi for the mission.
Image: File
Anti-riot police deployed to disperse any group planning a protest have been ordered to employ new tactics before they charge at the protesters.
Police believe the protests will be held majorly in Nairobi.
The anti-riot teams on the ground have been supplied with loudspeakers that they will use in declaring a proclamation before charging at the protesters.
They will announce that the meeting or protest is unlawful and read the sections of the law they are citing before taking action.
There are plans to disperse and make arrests as part of ways of defusing the protesters.
Dozens of anti-riot police officers have been mobilized from police colleges and other formations for the mission.
Major roads and especially those leading to State House were barricaded by police from Monday night ahead of the protests.
This is after the Azimio group declared their plans to stage anti-government protests are ongoing despite police declaration the move had been banned and is illegal.
There are almost 1,200 new officers who were mobilized from other areas and brought to Nairobi for the mission.
The top security committee, the National Security Advisory Committee met Monday to discuss the planned Azimio protests amid fears of more chaos.
Whereas some members of NSAC felt there was a need to allow the protests to go on as it is a constitutional requirement, others opposed it saying the President had already commented on the same issue and they had to go as per his remarks and hence ban the protests.
The committee advises various organs on the current state of affairs. It met under the chairmanship of the head of public service Felix Koskei at Harambee House.
Several Principal Secretaries who are members attended.
It was then decided to mobilize more police officers to Nairobi to block major routes the protesters plan to use.
The meeting also banned the use of nonuniformed officers in quelling the riots saying the practice is old and unnecessary.
Azimio had protested the use of non-uniformed officers in the exercise saying they were being used for other unconstitutional assignments including beating journalists.
There will be heavy surveillance of the movements of the key Azimio leaders as part of ways of containing the anticipated chaos.
“Some may be blocked at some places as part of efforts to stop their movements. No one will be allowed into the city centre,” said an officer aware of the plans.
Sources said the meeting deliberations were not attended by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome who was scheduled to leave for Tunisia for an official meeting.
He left Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Noor Gabow to lead the service.
Gabow issued a statement saying the planned protests are banned.
Police have no such powers to render a protest banned or illegal once they are notified.
“Undisputedly, the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 under Article 37 stipulates that every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities.
Notwithstanding, the Public Order Management Act, 2012 Part III regulates public gatherings by prohibiting offensive weapons at public meetings and processions.”
“Recent Azimio One Kenya Alliance protests have been symptomatic of an unacceptable trend of criminal incidents including wanton destruction of property, arson, robbery, looting, injuries to Officers, and even death of a police officer, a phenomenon that should not continue,” Gabow said.
“In the interest of national security, we wish to notify the public that the planned demonstration or assembly is unlawful and affirm our earlier unequivocal statements condemning violent protests and the public attacks on Law Enforcement Officers on duty.”
He argued since the beginning of the Azimio protests last year, police have responded with utmost restraint despite the provocation by the illegal protestors against police.
“We wish to reiterate our responsibility to maintain law and order; and enforce the law without fear or favour, strictly complying w the rule of law and respect for human rights,” he said.
This will likely lead to confrontations and chaos in the areas as the Azimio team insisted they are within the law to stage the protests.
As required in law, Azimio had notified the police of their intentions to picket and named the streets they will march on May 2.
The police move was highly anticipated given the past remarks by President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
Top government officials have been meeting in the past days to discuss the planned protests and a decision was reached not to allow them.
On the contrary, the move is counterproductive as many avoid going to work and their daily business because of the huge number of police usually deployed on the streets to disperse any meeting.
Ruto has vowed to use all powers at his disposal to ensure that the planned Azimio protests do not deteriorate into chaos and violence.
Ruto's sentiments follow Azimio la Umoja Coalition’s move to resume protests over what the party's hierarchy has termed as Kenya Kwanza's failure to commit to holding constructive bipartisan talks.
Ruto said he reached out to Azimio leader Raila Odinga to find an amicable solution to end the ongoing rift between the opposition and his government.
Despite his efforts, Ruto went on, Raila has seemingly rejected his grand gesture by directing his supporters to take part in the protests.
"I told them all the issues they are raising can be addressed in Parliament if they are genuine. They have refused and now want to go back to the streets,” he said.
“I am the commander-in-chief. You will know this soon and stop these games.”
He first said it in Rongai, Kajiado and Kakamega.
While likening the Azimio protests to economic sabotage, Ruto added that his government's priority lies in bettering the lives of Kenyans and not being at loggerheads with the opposition.
"We finished elections last year and what is remaining is to ensure development,” he said.
Azimio leader Martha Karua faulted Ruto for the remarks.“Amazing display of ignorance, contempt for the constitution and laws of Kenya,” she said in a tweet.
The protests will be the fourth one in a series that have occurred in the past three months pushing for talks to address issues affecting Kenyans.