KNCHR’s Statement on the Right to Assembly (CoK, Article 37) – (30.05.2016)

Jubilee and Government Officials plans to Block the Rallies or Celebrations of Madaraka Day in Uhuru Park and Nakuru; because the Government are the only allowed assembling on that day, apparently!

The Jubilee Alliance Party under President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto are running around worried about the opposition. Even their spokesperson Eric Kiraithe has today addressed the planned rally of the opposition Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) which is run by Hon. Raila Odinga, Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and Hon. Moses Wetan’gula.

We can see that CS Joseph Nkaisserey have already yesterday warned the CORD of demonstrating against the Electoral Commission. While later today the government has both locally in Nairobi said their peace on the Uhuru Park rally on 1^st June 2016 and also now with the Government spokesperson Kiraithe also shut down the planned rally in Nakuru. It seems like the ruling regime is struggling with the Opposition and whatever they do, they have to silence them.

What Kenyatta and Ruto wishes is the Opposition to be silent and just be there. While in 2006 the ousted leader of KANU Uhuru Kenyatta held a illegal rally in Uhuru Park which was suffocated with tear-gas, he himself described it like this: “What has happened today is a travesty of justice and we shall not relent until we, the bonafide officials of Kanu, are recognized” (BBC, 2006). So if the President has remembered that occasion and what the Police did to his supporters when he was opposition, he might have honoured the men and woman a little more. Instead he is just like the leaders before him, ruthless in power and acting vigilantly while being in opposition.

That the Ruling Regime and Ruling Party want to run the day and have the close-up with all people is understandable. But with time Uhuru Kenyatta is acting alike the ones he took over for, without showing any progress or openness, as himself wanted as a Opposition figure while Mwai Kibaki was the President. So now that it’s in the ending of his first term, he is acting so similar and using tear-gas against opposition; he have emulated the Kibaki way and also added the paranoid CS Nkaissery who fears all actions of Opposition and will use the Police Service every step of Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka or Wetan’gula thinks of showing up.

With this in mind the Jubilee seems to be so worried, so scared and fearing the Opposition as they have to crash all demonstrations, have to stop their rallies and file Police Orders together with Public Notices to silence them. All kind of Civil Servants have to comply and work for Jubilee and their political agenda as the Opposition and their members are nearly not even citizens, they are unnecessary political opponents that Kenyatta really wants to silence and easily get into his second term as President.

There obstacles in the road ahead. There mountains, rivers and deserts before you enter paradise again Hon. Kenyatta. As you shouldn’t fear the Opposition, but be a real big-man and embrace it. The richness isn’t the embezzled funds from NYS or Eurobond, but rather honest policy towards all kind of citizens, even opposition. Just like President Obama tried By-Partisan in Congress in his first term… maybe, you should consider to negotiate and create a peaceful atmosphere, instead of using tear-gas, live-bullets and water-canons to disperse the fellow Kenyans who wants to listen to the WDM, ODM or FORD-K. They should be without issues, just like you felt hurt in 2006 in Uhuru Park. It is a decade ago and surely all the VIP treatment have been well spent on you since.

Short term memory is not an simple thing, but when you get all the perks of being the VIP, the Executive and the Head-of-State; so he is now used to getting his will and his words are turned into legislature. With that in mind, the Power of Government and rule must have left the old him behind. The old being opposition having to get control of the government from somebody else; as that being said they are now acting as the old ones and even bad at times as they are not only into tear-gas, but also live-bullets at demonstrators.

Jubilee has lost sight of what it means to be government, it means to govern; not to control and intimidate fellow citizens. That is their main attraction nowadays. As the CORD is acted upon as they are common criminals and all their main activity is harassed and attacked, just as the rallies of Wenta’gula we’re earlier in the year. The same happens now that the CORD are besieged by Jubilee who doesn’t let them manoeuvre. They can only exist if they are silent… So silent that they can work without any questions or interference in Parliament, as they are just somebody without support; that is how it seems from afar and that is the wish from Jubilee.

Jubilee is the Government and the Ruling Party, therefore everybody should just apply and accept their rule. Well, that doesn’t happen in Kenya or anywhere else, as there is also other views on how Government should work. That should be viable for Kenyatta, as he was in the wilderness before and because of that act different with the Opposition. CORD have beaten, hurt, detained and the Police have even killed CORD supporters. So with this in mind with the new idea of only letting Jubilee have the ability to celebrate and rally supporters show the little care for anybody else than the Jubilee.

This here is freedom, liberty or national security, the way the Jubilee, and civil servants are blocking the CORD now is just personal between Kenyatta-Ruto Versus Odinga-Musyoka-Wetan’gula. That is visible and now manifested in the arrogance from the Government stopping the peaceful rallies and celebration of the Madaraka Day. Peace.

Kenya: Government Spokespersons Briefing on 30th May, 2016 – “Subject: Madaraka Day Celebration”