LSK slams police for selectively disrupting opposition events, cites breach of rights

LSK slams police for selectively disrupting opposition events, cites breach of rights

LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the police are now openly deciding who can assemble and who cannot, an act she termed a blatant violation of Articles 243 and 244 of the Constitution.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has slammed the National Police Service for selectively blocking opposition events, accusing it of abandoning its constitutional mandate and turning into a partisan tool used to suppress dissent.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the police are now openly deciding who can assemble and who cannot, an act she termed a blatant violation of Articles 243 and 244 of the Constitution, which require the police to be apolitical, professional and respectful of human rights.

“The role of the police is to provide security, not to choose which political side can speak and which one can’t. What we are seeing is a clear sign that the National Police Service is siding with political rhetoric and undermining the very principles that led to its independence under the 2010 Constitution,” Odhiambo said.

Her remarks come in the wake of a fresh confrontation between the police and allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, whose planned political rally in Murang’a County was violently disrupted for the second consecutive Sunday.

The incident occurred after a church service at AIPCA Christ the King Church in Kahuro, Kigumo Constituency, where a group of legislators allied to Gachagua had gathered ahead of a scheduled meet-the-people tour. Among them were Senators John Methu (Nyandarua) and Joe Nyutu (Murang’a).

Their convoy encountered a heavy police blockade at Ngonga Shopping Centre. A brief standoff ensued before police lobbed tear gas and fired live rounds into the air to disperse the crowd. Eyewitnesses said several vehicles were damaged during the melee.

This marked the second attempt in as many weeks by the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) to hold a public rally that was thwarted by police. A similar confrontation was reported in Subukia, Nakuru County, the previous Sunday, while echoes of police interference were also noted during a DCP-linked event in Kakamega in May.

Odhiambo condemned the incident, noting that only credible intelligence indicating a potential for violence or destruction of property could justify gathering restrictions by police. However, she questioned the basis of the recent actions, suggesting they appear politically motivated.

“Unless there is clear evidence of imminent threat or danger, there is no lawful reason to block a public gathering. Even if the area is a known hotspot, the police ought to engage the organisers and provide adequate security, not use force to silence them,” she said.

Odhiambo further warned that continued use of police to frustrate opposition activity risks dragging the country back to the authoritarian tactics seen during the Moi era.

“The whole point of making the police independent was to end the culture of them being used as an appendage of the Executive. Sadly, that’s exactly what we are seeing now,” she added.

The LSK President also criticised reports that police officers allegedly compelled an opposition Member of Parliament to chant a pro-government slogan, terming the incident unconstitutional and a stark indicator of rising police politicisation.

She said such conduct by the police amounted to psychological coercion and was in breach of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

“This kind of behaviour by officers is shocking. If true, it completely undermines the principle of an apolitical National Police Service and violates the freedom of conscience and expression,” Odhiambo said.

She called for accountability in the police service and urged Kenyans to remain vigilant in defending constitutional rights, including the freedom of assembly and expression.

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