Kenya: Azimio Did Not Follow Proper Procedure for Their Protests - Police

Nairobi — Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei now says that the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition failed to follow the proper procedure when notifying his office of its planned anti-government protests scheduled for next week.

Bungei's response came after Azimio's Executive Council Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya accompanied by other leaders informed the Nairobi police boss of their intention to hold protests in the City on Monday and Thursday.

Oparanya stated that the Azimio coalition intends to submit petitions to County Commanders; sub county commanders and all other state offices countrywide as part of the processions.

"This is a notification to enable the police provide adequate security to the demonstrators. By this notice; kindly provide adequate security," Bungei said.

However, Bungei stated that the notification should have been addressed to the area Officer Commanding Station(OCS).

"In this matter related to the issue of Monday's protest, it has to be served to the police station. We are not saying that we refuse to pick or not.We are guided by the law that this document should be delivered to the Officer Commanding Station," Bungei said Wednesday.

On Tuesday , Opposition stalwart Raila Odinga said that they will be pressing individual charges on the police officers who injured and maimed their supporters during the peaceful protest.

He singled out Nairobi Police Chief Adam Bungei for instituting orders that led to the mayhem that was witnessed Monday's Azimio demos where its alleged two people lost their lives.

"The brutality witnessed yesterday doesn't belong to this country. The citizens were demonstrating on provisions of the constitutions as they had given notice. Its impunity at its worst," Odinga said.

"We will press charges against Bungei both locally and internationally. We will make Bungei and his enablers to understand that days when regimes would brutalize citizens with impunity are long gone," he added.

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