Police thwart protesters’ bid to storm DC’s office

Police on Friday used tear gas to disperse human rights activists as they tried to storm the Mombasa district commissioner’s office to hand over a petition asking President Kibaki to sack corrupt ministers.

There was a scuffle outside the office during which protesters overwhelmed the few officers, and the police resorted to tear gas. The group had earlier peacefully marched through the streets before converging at the DC’s office.

Led by Genesis For Human Rights Commission programme officer Caleb Ng’wena and Muslim for Human Rights executive director Hussein Khalid, the group tried to force their way into the office when nobody came out to receive their petition.

In a related development, students in public universities and other learning institutions have hinted they may call for countrywide mass action to condemn graft in the government if corrupt ministers are not sacked. Students Union of Mombasa Polytechnic University College officials on Friday said they were holding talks with their counterparts in other colleges over the matter.

Chairman David Monda said that a meeting of students’ unions held in Machakos recently resolved that “the students should participate in all activities that will force the coalition government to deliver its pledges to Kenyans”. And a group of elders and churches has called for an end to the incessant wrangles in the grand coalition.

In a statement on Friday, the chairman of the Kikuyu Council of Elders, Mr Wachira Kiago, said the wrangles were likely to erode all the gains made in the last two years since the National Accord was signed.

Nyanza Council of Church Leaders, which represents more than 200 denominations, said that the most important issue in Kenya today was the implementation of the Agenda Four of the National Accord and the realisation of a new constitution.

The European Union also wants the government to act tough on graft. In a statement from its Nairobi office on Friday, the EU supported the prosecution of education officials. “We encourage further action that will send a strong signal to Kenyans and international investors that theft of public funds and corruption will not be tolerated,” said the EU.

Reports by Anthony Kitimo, Galgalo Bocha, Oliver Mathenge and Alphonce Shiundu