OCS of the Central Police Station, Moses Mutayi, has now stated that all types of demonstrations, picketing, and processions are now prohibited in Nairobi for security reasons.
The OCS advised the Justice for Jeff Initiative, which had notified him of their plan to demonstrate in the CBD on Friday, to contact his office “in the near future” about the matter in a letter.
“Subject to the same, this office hereby informs you that demonstrations and picketing are not permitted for the time being for security reasons,” Mutayi said.
Justice for Jeff Initiative requested protection for its demonstrations on Friday in a letter to the OCS on March 21.
The group claimed that they wished to show their outrage over the passing of interior designer Jeff Mwathi, who passed away on February 23 in an undetermined manner. The letter, which was signed by Peter Kio, stated that the protests “shall be peaceful to guarantee that the public outcry is heard and the arrest for those suspected of having perpetrated the crime is made.”
The organization intended to hold demonstrations at the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office, outside Parliament, and in the City. Initial reports stated that Jeff killed himself by jumping from the 12th story of an apartment at the Kasarani estate, however first forensic findings suggested that Jeff was murdered.
The Azimio twin demonstrations scheduled for Monday and Thursday next week are now uncertain because to the OCS’s decision to forbid marches in Nairobi. Azimio gave the police notice of their plans to organize the demonstrations on Wednesday and on consecutive Mondays and Thursdays.
Adamson Bungei, the commander of the Nairobi Regional Police, retorted that the notice was delivered to him incorrectly. He advised the Raila Odinga-led group to deliver the warning to the head of Central Police.
According to the law, “we have protocols on how we serve the letters for protest or picketing,” he stated.
It is the officer in charge of a police station where processions are anticipated to be that is meant to be served with notices on demos, according to Section 2 of the Public Order Act, Bungei said. He claimed that as a regional command, “we supply services to the police stations” through his office.
Thus, it must be served in the police station in this case involving the protest issue. We’re not saying we won’t picket or don’t; we just follow the law, said Bungei.
Executive Council Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya stated that because their parade will pass through the Nairobi Central Business District’s main thoroughfares, Bungei must send out an adequate number of police personnel to provide security.