Nairobi — Coastal leaders have criticized Inspector General Japhet Koome and the National Police Service for their heavy-handed response during ongoing demonstrations in Mombasa County.
Led by Likoni Member of Parliament Mishi Mboko, they condemned the use of tear gas at Coast Girls Secondary School.
"It is shameful to see our police officers in Kenya, particularly in Mombasa, subjecting peaceful demonstrators to tear gas and unlawful arrests," stated Mboko.
The Likoni legislator questioned the rationale behind police actions that endangered children while citizens were peacefully expressing their opposition to the Finance Bill 2024.
"We strongly condemn the assault on children. The density of tear gas in that classroom is particularly reprehensible," Mboko added.
Mombasa Woman Representative Zamzam Mohammed criticized the police force under Koome for threatening the right to peaceful assembly.
"We are telling Generation Z not to be intimidated by the police. We will soon join them in the streets because the devil is in the details of this bill," Mohammed declared.
Butere MP Tindi Mwale lamented that the government was reverting to the oppressive tactics of the KANU era by using excessive force to silence dissent.
"Why are peaceful demonstrators being teargassed? It feels like we are returning to the days of Moi's rule. Why are protests being handled so aggressively at a girls' school?" Mwale questioned.
Despite the rains, the anti-Finance Bill protests began in Mombasa on Wednesday.
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Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets, facing a heavy police presence. The well-known Mapembeni area along Moi Avenue, initially designated as the central meeting point, was cordoned off.
Braving tear gas and a substantial police presence, young activists, organized under the banner of "Occupy Parliament," peacefully marched through Nairobi on Tuesday, chanting demands for their leaders to reject the bill.
"Reject Finance Bill, down with Finance Bill," they chanted.
Tuesday's demonstration stood out for its youthful participants and peaceful nature, in contrast to traditional protests often led by older youth and driven by political figures.
The protestors wielded smartphones and placards with various messages, rather than the stones and crude weapons typically associated with antigovernmental protests.
