•Kindiki however warned that any act of lawlessness or disruption of business will be dealt with firmly.
•He directed the organizers of the Azimio to specify the time they will hold the demonstration rallies and the venues to be used.
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Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki Tuesday said the Azimio la Umoja coalition is free to stage their planned public meetings.
The group plans anti-government meetings on Wednesday, December 7 and on Monday, December 12.
Kindiki said the organizers will be provided with security.
Kindiki however warned that any act of lawlessness or disruption of business will be dealt with firmly.
He directed the organizers of the Azimio to specify the time they will hold the demonstration rallies and the venues to be used.
“We have finite human resources to deploy and must balance how we deploy our officers during the protests,” he said.
Addressing the media from Harambee House in Nairobi on Tuesday, Kindiki said the Ministry was not interested in disrupting the meetings as that would infringe Article 37 of the Constitution which provides that every person has a right to demonstrate and to present petitions to public authorities.
"The Ministry of Interior is making all the necessary security arrangements to ensure that our fellow Kenyans can exercise their right to associate, demonstrate, protest or make their grievances known," said Kindiki."
"We will, however, require to be given the full schedule of where those activities are and the nature of those activities and the frequency of those activities so that we can organise ourselves because we have finite human resources to deploy," he added.
Kindiki promised that the Ministry would remain impartial and would not politicise the meetings held by the opposition.
"We are not interested in the agenda that those protesting are engaged in so long as it is lawful. Therefore, we will not politicise the matter, we will remain professional to make sure those who want to air their grievances are given the space so that those who do not agree with them do not disrupt," said Kindiki.
He said that those attending the rallies should not carry any arms or weapons adding that they should not harass and keep off their property.
According to Kindiki, Azimo has a right to demonstrate or picket, since the constitution gives them the freedom to.
His sentiments come after Azimio flagbearer Raila Odinga, said on Monday that the coalition would hold nationwide public consultative forums which will begin Wednesday, December 7, at the Kamukunji grounds.
Raila insisted that the meetings were not protests as had been interpreted but are consultative meetings.
The CS also said that the government was prioritizing the mental well-being of police officers. He said that officers who will be posted in hardship areas will receive pre-deployment and post-deployment counselling.
Kindiki added that the National Police Service Hospital, the Kenya Prison Service Hospital and the Border Police Hospital will be officially opened in the next 30 days.
“These facilities will help us deal with injured officers while in the line of duty and also deal with the mental issues of our uniformed men and women while in service,” he said.
Officers who are currently based in the Northern and North Eastern parts of the country will be rotated regularly in a bid to improve their welfare.
He assured Kenyans of their safety as we approach the festive season saying that measures are in place to deal with any cases of crime or terrorism.