NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 26 – Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome has warned that no demonstrations will be allowed to take place in any part of the country on Monday.
Koome said the planned protests by Azimio coalition are illegal and police are under firm instructions to disperse them.
Opposition chief Raila Odinga has launched demonstrations since last week to force the government to tackle the high cost of living and protest the presidential victory he claims was stolen from him during the August 2022 polls won by President William Ruto.
“We will not spare anyone,” Koome said, “those demonstrations are illegal and I can assure you that we are not going to allow them to take place.”
He said anyone found with stones and other weapons will be treated as a criminal.
“Let them try because we are ready for them,” he said.
During similar protests on Monday last week, at least one person was killed-a student shot dead by police in Maseno University-while businesses were affected especially in the capital Nairobi and the lakeside city of Kisumu where protesters engaged police in running battles for most of the day.
President Ruto has warned against the protests and instead told Odinga he will not engage him in talks, accusing him of destabilising the country for his own selfish interests like he did in two former regimes that ended up accommodating him.
“Kenyans made their decision during the August 2022 polls, we are done with the polls and all that remains is prepare for development,” he said, “we are not going to engage Raila because he knows he lost and we won.”
