INDEPENDENT MEDIA

What’s going on in Nairobi ? NO VOX 07 Aug 2007 13:33 GMT Repeated offenses against constitutionnal rights and police’s violence against civil society 4 months before the general elections in december 2007. Two demonstrations were planned in Nairobi on tuesday 31 of july and Thursday 2 of august 2007. Civil society was protesting against a new bill voted by the Parliament under which MPs would receive 12.5 percent of their annual earnings, backdated to January 2003. According to local newspapers « having voted themselves a four-fold salary rise as the first order of business in the new parliament in 2003, the legislators are already some of the world’s best-paid. A typical Kenyan legislator already earns about $12,000 a month. » when « more than 60% of the population lives on less than $1 a day ». Protest was also targetting the governmental project to increase the number of constituencies just before the general elections (more on [Peoples's Parliament website->www.peoples-parliament.org]) On Tuesday, a peaceful demo took place in front of the Parliament in Nairobi. Nevertheless the police repressed with violence and 5 leaders were arrested, most of them well established NGOs leaders (Walimu Mati Cyprian Nyamwamu, Anne Njogu, Okoiti Omtatah). Although the arrest took place in front of the parliament, MPs didn’t care about this violation of constitutionnal rights. 4 of them were put in a crazy driven police car which had an accident with a Matatu (collective cab). They where then transported to the hopistal, which was put into heavy police guard. The next morning, they were driven to the central police station. Their lawyer was also arrested. Concerning the fifth of them, Mrs Ann Njogu – CEO of a Soros supported NGO – she had been in the central police station since Monday evening. In the middle of tuesday night the Ministry of Health herself, Mrs Charity Ngilu, drove with her official car to the police station in order to bring Mrs Njogu to the hospital because she had been enduring police violence. She was herself hurt by male policemen before she could take Mrs Njogu in her car and bring her to the same hospital, where her fellows were spending the night under police guard. Police arrested then Mrs Njogu’s husband. And on Tuesday morning, some MPs asked for the Ministry of Health arrestation. She was summoned in the afternoon, where she arrived and had the support of protesters coming back from the wensday demo which had been attacked with tear gases. The police refused her first the assistance of her lawyer. She the was then retained all the night. And 10, who were peacefully demonstrating their support to the ministry in front of Criminal Investigation Department were also arrested (Kepta Ombati, Wangui Mbatia, Abel Okundi, Fwamba NC Fwamba, Hassan Indusa, Eddie Mwangu, Keli Musyoka, Robert Ondari, Patrick Kamotho and Phillo Ikonya). They were charged the following day with « unlawful assembly and strorming a police station », took a plead of not guilty and were released on bail (20 000 KES about 220 EUR.) More or less at the same time the 5 arrested on monday were released in court. The judge stated the violation of their constitutionnal rights (they hadn’t been brought in court in the legal time of 24h.) Policemen officers who had been ordered to attend the interterpartes made no appearance in court. Pt Kibaki’s regime has been playing a very dangerous game for months with systematic repression of civil society and is more and more compared to the former Moi regime. Except for the unacceptable behavior of MPs, the most frightening is that the police, known for corruption and violence, seems to be encouraged to offense constitutionnal rights and target opposants. 2 demonstrations are planned on wensday 8 and Thursday 9 august. The No-Vox network launches an appeal to vigilance and solidarity with Kenyan civil society. homepage:: http://www.novox.ras.eu.org