By KPC Reporter
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has issued a stern call to the government to respect and uphold the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
NCCK statement on Sunday came as Kenyans prepared to mark the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba protests on Monday.
NCCK Chairman Rev. Dr. Elias Otieno Agola and General Secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui, condemned what it termed as a worrying pattern of state-sponsored violations of civil liberties.
“The state is blatantly, violently and illegally denying Kenyans the right to enjoy the right to picket,” the church leaders said in their statement.
They cited instances of peaceful protests being broken up by police, protestors being killed without accountability, and armed gangs allegedly working in coordination with law enforcement to intimidate and assault demonstrators.
Loose tongue?
The council also raised alarm over the destruction of public and private property during protests, which they suggested may be happening with police complicity.
They expressed particular concern over Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen’s alleged “shoot-to-kill” directive targeting young protestors.
Further, they poked holes into a proposed amendment to the Public Order Act that would ban demonstrations near key government buildings, including Parliament and State House.
“These are the very places where citizens need to picket to present their views and concerns,” the statement read.
Calling on police to provide adequate security to all peaceful and unarmed demonstrators on Saba Saba Day, the NCCK also demanded that the Interior Cabinet Secretary withdraw the alleged deadly directive and be held accountable for any extra-judicial killings.
Additionally, the council urged lawmakers to scrap the proposed amendments to the Public Order Act, and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of violent gangs and their financiers.
As part of the weekend’s commemorations, clergy across the country were encouraged to dedicate their Sunday sermons to prayer and dialogue on justice, democracy, and governance.
“We remind all Kenyans that each of us will have to give an account for the actions we take now, whether good or bad,” the council said.
Saba Saba in the Kiswahili version of “Seven Seven” in English.
It refers to July 7, 1990, when pro-democracy activists defied a government ban to hold a rally calling for multiparty democracy in Kenya, a move that helped shape the country’s political landscape.