The National Police Service has banned the planned anti-government demonstration within the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), citing a lack of leadership framework among the protesters. It also claims that the previous demos resulted in massive losses of lives and livelihoods, with business premises not spared.
“Since the public demonstrations by Kenyan youth (Gen Z) began in June this year, our country has experienced enormous losses; people have been injured, lives lost, property and businesses destroyed, and livelihoods lost.”
Due to the previous goon infiltrations among the peaceful protesters, leading to destruction and looting of businesses, the National Police Service reiterates that they have credible information and intelligence that criminal groups plan to take advantage of the ongoing demonstrations.
“In keeping with our constitutional role and in the interest of national security, we wish to inform the public that we have credible intelligence that organized criminal groups are planning to take advantage of the ongoing protests to execute their attacks, including looting.”
The police body claims that it has been difficult to enforce safety protocols for the peaceful demonstrators due to lack of a designated leadership among the youth to cooperate with the police.
“Acting on this information and in accordance with international security standards for public assemblies, which require a designated leader to coordinate, collaborate, and cooperate with police for peaceful demonstrations, the lack of designated leadership in previous demonstrations has made it difficult to enforce safety protocols. As a result, no demonstrations will be permitted in the Nairobi Central Business District and its surroundings until further notice to ensure public safety.”
The youth had earlier planned to gather at Uhuru Park grounds to air their grievances amid a lack of agility by the government to implement all the demands made during the previous demonstrations.
The nationwide protests have, however, shown an unwavering effort by the youth to instill good governance across the bureaucratic levels, even in the midst of police brutality-related deaths and abductions.
The government and the opposition wings have called for dialogue on the biweekly anti-government protests, which has been simultaneously rejected by the demonstrators as an attempt to ride on their horse by the opposition
