• Azimio has written to the ICC demanding an investigation into police brutality at their rallies
• Azimio leaders are angry that the state has withdrawn their police guards at their mass action demos
The government has withdrawn security officers from ODM leaders who attend the mass action rallies. Those affected include Raila Odinga, Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka and others.
ODM has interpreted this as a complete withdrawal of security but the government instruction seems to only refer to police officers being blocked from attending 'maandamano'.
If police officers guarding ODM leaders have been ordered not to go to demonstrations, ODM can hardly complain. After all, Azimio has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate police actions at their mass demos. It is contradictory for Azimio leaders to still demand police protection at those very same demos.
It is also far-fetched for opposition leaders to complain that the withdrawal of personal police guards is a sign that the state is planning to assassinate them. Those guards are part of the state machinery.
However, no-one wants anything to happen to the Azimio leaders so it seems a sensible compromise for them to attend their demos without police guards but to continue receiving police protection at other times and places. So let government continue to protect Azimio leaders at home but not at their demos.
Quote of the day: "It may be necessary to use methods other than constitutional ones."
Robert Mugabe
The nationalist leader was elected Zimbabwe's first black prime minister on May 4, 1980