Raila: Court ruling on KDF deployment during demos wrong

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has cristised the court's decision to maintain the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in the streets during protests.

Raila noted that the courts were wrong in their ruling to continue to maintain the KDF on the streets.

He said the Army is supposed to defend the country from foreign aggressions and not to deal with internal strikes.

Speaking during the burial of Elder Owino Nyadi in Ugunja constituency Siaya County on Saturday, Raila noted that the country has got Kenyan police to deal with such.

“We have reached a stage where the government has to take the military to the streets. This means the civilian authority has failed. The civilian forces have failed to deal with the people. The Army is not supposed to be in the streets, the army is supposed to defend the country from foreign aggressions not to deal with internal strikes,” he said.

He added: “That's why it is wrong for our courts to rule that you can continue to maintain army on our streets because we have got Kenyan police to do this”.

The ODM Leader also critised the police for how handled the protesters saying the laws allow Kenyans to peacefully picket and demonstrate against what they don't like.

"Peaceful demonstrators should be actually escorted by the police and not shot by the police. What we have seen is unacceptable and we condemn in the strongest terms possible the brutal force by police against innocent people in our country."

He said the country lost so many young promising lives within the last one week unnecessarily because of what he referred to as 'trigger-happy policemen'.

He said in civilian authorities all over the world police are not supposed to shoot at protesters adding that their responsibility is to protect the lives and property of people.

Raila further stated that a police officer who goes out and goes rogue to shoot aimlessly is a criminal who should be dealt with by the law.

"What we saw the other day is something that was unimaginable and completely unprecedented in the 61 years of Kenyan independence. We have never seen things like this before".

Raila questioned the goons' narrative demanding that the relevant authorities explain who hired the alleged goons.

Raila was accompanied by Siaya Governor James Orengo and Minority leader in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi.