- Dozens of police were mobilized Tuesday for patrols.
- This comes as at least five presidents are expected in Nairobi to participate in the launch of a campaign for ODM leader Raila Odinga for the AUC position.
Police in Nairobi Tuesday warned against planned protests to mark Katiba Day.
August 27 marks 14 years since the since the enactment of the 2010 Constitution.
And to mark the day, a group of activists announced plans to hold protests in Nairobi over what they termed as abuses of the supreme law.
But police HAVE warned against such plans saying they will not allow them to march in Nairobi.
Dozens of police were mobilized Tuesday for patrols.
This comes as at least five presidents are expected in Nairobi to participate in the launch of a campaign for ODM leader Raila Odinga for the AUC position.
This has heightened security in many places in the city.
Regional police commanders were also ordered not to allow the protests, officials said.
The group had Monday tried to march in the city ahead of the day before the protest was disrupted.
About 15 of them including Prof Fred Ogolla were arrested and detained in custody.
Before the arrests, the protesters held a press briefing outlining their plans for the Tuesday protests.
This move comes as many Kenyans believed the wave of anti-government demonstrations had waned following the less popular Nanenane protests.
Katiba Day appears to have rekindled the spirit of resistance that had diminished since the unsuccessful Nane Nane demonstrations on August 8.
Booker Omolo, Chairman of the People’s Assembly, stated:
“Tomorrow, August 27th, Katiba Day will not just be a day of commemoration but a day of mass action. We demand President William Ruto’s immediate resignation.”
Kasmuel Mcoure, spokesperson for the People’s Assembly, added:
“We invite you tomorrow, as Katiba turns 14, to reflect on whether the Constitution has been respected.”
Generation Z, the People’s Assembly, and 54 other organizations will host protests across the country, continuing their demand for action to respect the law.
They cite his failure to uphold the Constitution and address critical issues such as corruption, youth unemployment, and the high cost of living.
Protesters are also calling for justice for those killed, injured, or disappeared during previous anti-government protests. Cases of forced abductions and disappearances continue to rise.
“We demand the release of the Kitengela Three, and we ask you to reflect tomorrow (Tuesday) on whether the Constitution has been respected,” McOure said.
Criticizing the broad-based government as unconstitutional and politically motivated, protesters plan to initiate a signature collection drive for a referendum aimed at amending the Constitution, which they are calling the “People’s Assembly Referendum”.
Prof. Ogolla said;
“Those telling us to give Ruto more time, tell us—more time to do what? He knows what we want.”
Despite a recent slowdown in anti-government protests, a section of the youth remains defiant, calling for more protests.
It was after the press conference that they were arrested.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said the group had not notified police of their plans.
“We are not aware of the protests. We want peace in the city and other parts of the country at large,” he said.
He added police are on standby to maintain peace and urged those with plans to stage the protests to shelve the same.
Bungei confirmed more than a dozen people were Monday arrested for organizing and staging a protest in the city.
“They are the organisers and they will be in court.”
The Monday protests had been joined by a group of students before it was disrupted forcing them to escape.
The students said they were against the new university funding model.