Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition has taken advantage of Social Media. They have used it as a tool to call out police officers using force during demonstrations.
When Azimio announced another round of anti-government protests running for three days, the government swore not to let the protests happen. Bringing a clash between the police and the protesters ahead of the protests planned.
As the demonstrations began in different parts of the country, so did the interactions between the protesters and the police. The engagement was signified by tear gas canisters and police using live rounds during the protests.
By midday on Wednesday, the police had shot two men in Migori town and four more in Nakuru town. Alongside this, the alleged abduction of Raila’s bodyguard by police officers.
Azimio leaders later went online to demand the release of MPs and MCAs who had been arrested by the police officers during the demonstrations. Azimio Tv later posted on their Twitter account the abduction of Odinga’s spokesman from his house.
“Each officer will account individually for these unlawful acts. Our lawyers have instructions to proceed with the necessary legal action, ” said Karua.
Afterwards, Azimio posted images of plain clothes officer holding a pistol, linking him to shooting a protester and leaving him on the street for dead.
It is through social media that videos circulated on how police officers were masquerading as journalists to trap the protesters and arrest them. The Media Council of Kenya commented on the harm of this act.
In addition to this, Odinga shared an explicit video of a child who was allegedly shot in the leg in Kibera, Nairobi. On Tuesday, they alleged to a killer squad dubbed OSU (Operation Support Unit) had infiltrated the police unit and was directly targeting protesters.
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Intervention against police brutality
It is this very same tool that was used by the international community to ask the government not to use force while quelling protests. The statement was released on Friday by the OHCHR. They urged the local authorities not to use deadly force when quelling protests and further called for faster investigations into the deaths of protesters.
In response to this, Kenya told the United Nations that they would use any means necessary to quell the illegal protests being pushed by the opposition. They however agreed to the need for faster investigations into the deaths caused during the protests.
Read Also: Kenya Responds to UN on Anti-government Protest Crackdown
While the opposition post the police brutality levels and seek prosecution of the violet police officers, the president has been seen praising the police officers. In a statement he issued, he is seen praising the police for what he termed as protecting the people and maintaining peace.
“I want to congratulate the police for being bold and ensuring that there is peace. Ensuring that action is taken on all offenders so that we ensure that there is peace in Kenya and people’s property is protected,” Said Ruto on Thursday.
Read Also: Tear Gas: The Bittersweet Tool for Crowd Control in Kenyan Protests
