Kenya opposition vows to defy protest ban amid election crisis

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s opposition vowed to pursue a campaign of protest for electoral reform, defying a ban on rallies in main city centres announced by government Thursday.

The ban came after the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) called for daily protests next week.

The country remains gripped by uncertainty over whether an October 26 presidential election will go ahead after NASA chief Raila Odinga refused to take part.

Security Minister Fred Matiangi said lawlessness during recent protests led to his decision to ban gatherings in three main city centres.

“Due to the clear, present and imminent danger of breach of peace, the government notifies the public that, for the time being, we will not allow demonstrations within the central business districts of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu,” Matiangi said.

NASA said it would defy the order and protest Friday and all of next week.

The protests have seen hundreds of opposition supporters march through the streets, sometimes burning tyres and clashing with police who have used tear gas to disperse crowds.

LIVE!!! Opinion 2017: NASA Anti-IEBC Demos, Nairobi #PeoplesPetition #FreshNominations #NoReformsNoElections https://t.co/I6UHEvoIrh pic.twitter.com/u8jMu2BuFP

— NASA Coalition (@CoalitionNASAKe) October 11, 2017

“We will continue with our demonstrations as planned across the country. The law is very clear on peaceful demonstrations,” said one of the coalition’s leaders Moses Wetangula.

Though relatively small, the protests have caused outsized disruption, forcing shops to close up and deterring some from visiting city centres on demonstration days.

There have also been incidents of pickpocketing and muggings on the edges of the protests.

Matiangi said the protests had resulted in “attacks on police stations, attacks on police officers occasioning grievous bodily harm, serious disruption of normal business, assault on innocent civilians, destruction and looting of property.”

He threatened legal action.

“It is the responsibility of the organiser that all participants remain peaceful. The organisers shall be held personally liable for any breach of law during the demonstrations,” he said.

Violence in the days following August’s vote left at least 37 dead, according to a rights group, with almost all of the victims killed by police, according to a local human rights group.

No deaths have been reported since, however several people were left with gunshot injuries in the western opposition stronghold Kisumu on Wednesday.