A UK based Kenyan rights group has issued a statement condemning senior Kenyan government officials for restrictions lawful picketing.
In the press statement issued on Friday,the Justice and Equity Council UK called out the Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja of allegedly facilitating attempts to restrict lawful assembly,civic expression or political participation citing this as unconstitutional and a direct jab on Kenya’s democratic order.
The group cited articles 37 and 38 of the Constitution which guarantee the right to picket,assemble and particípate in political activities.”The deployment of excessive or lethal force against peaceful demonstrators is unlawful and individually attributable to the officers and commanders involved,” read the statement signed by Chairman Sebastian Onyango.
The group argued that through the invocation of the principle of command responsibility, that senior leadership bear the constitutional responsibility for the actions of officers under their control.
The group outlined several constitutional provisions in their statement that they believed were being violated including Articles granting freedom of expression (33), freedom of association (36), and the right to a fair hearing (50).
JEC-UK also issued a list of demands in their statement including the immediate cessation of all unconstitutional restrictions and public reaffirmation by the Inspector General of Police on the nature of the rights to assemble and picket.
They are also calling for independent and transparent investigations into all allegations of police brutality.
