Activists urge bipartisan committee to address the plight of charged demonstrators

Mombasa,

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

KNA by Shamim Musa

Mombasa Activists are calling for the unconditional release of all demonstrators currently facing charges related to taking part in the anti-government protests called by the opposition party.

In Mombasa 14 people were charged with unlawful assembly and creating a disturbance, they were released on Sh10,000 bail their cases were pushed to February 2024.

The activists say there were no cases of theft, blocking of roads or vandalism of properties in Mombasa during the protests. They want the bipartisan committee to address the plight of demonstrators who were arrested at their workplaces.

The demonstrators Kituo cha Sheria Lawyer Zedekiah Adika says they were arrested during the protests on the cost of living that have culminated in the formation of a bipartisan committee between the opposition and the government.

Adika says while the committee has made tremendous progress including the entrenchment of certain offices in the constitution demonstrators' concerns have not been addressed.

“As we speak, we feel as Kenyans that the politicians are doing what serves their interests. The people who were arrested during that time have since been forgotten. All the cases that relate to demonstrations whether proved or not should be withdrawn,” said Adika.

 “We are putting a huge log in the necks of the people who should be left to do their business. The bipartisan talk must focus on the issues of those people.” He said.

Adika said people who were arrested during the demonstrations are still languishing in courts all over the country yet the protests were halted and dialogue given a chance.

“When we go for a ceasefire and people decide to speak then we should release all who were arrested in connection with the case,” he stated.

The activists called for the arrest of police officers who are suspected to have killed demonstrators during the protests. Adika wondered why they hadn’t been arraigned in court like the demonstrators.

Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) Rapid Response Officer Francis Auma accuses politicians of neglecting the demonstrators.

Samuel Obala, a mechanic says he was arrested at his workplace in Ganjoni and the case is dragging in court. “We lack our freedom because we do our work in fear of arrest as they go on with their work. We assemble there daily because it is our place of work,” he lamented.

Obala urged the bipartisan committee to address their concerns as the protests they staged gave birth to the talks.

Bradley Ouna, an activist who organized the protests in Mombasa said the first agenda in the talks should have been the unconditional release of all demonstrators and those hospitalized their bills catered for by the government.

Courtesy; KNA