Nairobi — Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome has assured Kenyans the country is safe and secure, even as Opposition leader Raila Odinga vowed to push on with his demonstrations on Monday.Speaking Sunday after meeting security chiefs at police headquarters, Koome assured the business community and investors that security agencies are on high alert to counter any acts of lawlessness that may come from the opposition faction's protesters.
Odinga has launched demonstrations since last week to force the government to tackle the high cost of living and protest the presidential victory he claims was stolen from him during the August 2022 polls won by President William Ruto.
"Those demonstrations are illegal and we will not allow them to take place," the IG said, "We are ready as security agencies. Every corner of this country is safe and secure."
Similar protests turned violent in Nairobi and Kisumu last week when one person- a student at Maseno University was shot dead.
Several businesses and properties were destroyed or looted in both cities that literally shut for the better part of the day.
"You all saw what happened on Monday last week. It will not happen again," Koome declared, "We have heard some people say that they will cause violence in Nairobi tomorrow (Monday). Nothing of that sort will happen because the security agencies are ready to protect every Kenyan."
Koome said anyone found armed with stormed or any other weapon will be dealt with as a criminal.
Odinga has said he will press on with the protests, saying he wants justice while claiming his victory was stolen.
He wants the electoral commission compelled to open servers so as to confirm the results of the election that were relied on to declare Ruto president.
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Soon after the August 2022 polls, Odinga unsuccessfully challenged the outcome at the Supreme Court.
On Sunday the police chief said that the issue of opening servers is political.
"Those are political issues that need political solutions. But when it comes to security, I have a mandate as the IG to ensure I protect life and property and I am very good at that," he said.
President Ruto has warned against the protests and instead told Odinga he will not engage him in talks, accusing him of destabilizing the country for his own selfish interests as he did in two former regimes that ended up accommodating him.
"Kenyans made their decision during the August 2022 polls, we are done with the polls and all that remains is prepare for development," he said, "we are not going to engage Raila because he knows he lost and we won."
