Police ban Bunge la Mwananchi City meetings
People converge outside the National Archives building on February 26, 2017 during a past session of Bunge la Mwananchi.
What you need to know:
- The meetings are characterised by passionate discussions on governance, corruption, social welfare and political developments in the country.
- The favourite venues for the meetings include the intersection of Mama Ngina and Wabera Streets and in front of the Kenya Archives building on Moi Avenue.
- The chairman Bunge La Wananchi, City Hall branch, Collins Onyango said that police officers have been deployed to man the venue of their meetings.
Citing security concerns, police in Nairobi have banned Bunge la Mwananchi meetings held in the city centre.
The meetings are characterised by passionate discussions on governance, corruption, social welfare and political developments in the country.
But according to police, the meetings are a security threat to businesses in the city centre.
The favourite venues for the meetings include the intersection of Mama Ngina and Wabera streets and in front of the Kenya Archives building on Moi Avenue.
Since Friday last week, police have been dispersing the meetings held next to City Hall to no avail.
On Tuesday, Central OCPD Robinson Thuku said the meetings are a threat to businesses on Mama Ngina and Wabera streets, including Nakumatt, Chase Bank and the Diamond Trust Bank.
“We are doing away with these groupings in the name of Bunge la Wananchi which are held in front of businesses in the CBD.
"They are a threat because people have raised concern over their security especially in Wabera Street, where the crowd has become huge," explained Mr Thuku.
OTHER VENUES
The OCPD said police are not against freedom of expression, but that such meetings should be held elsewhere, such Uhuru Park, where they do not inconvenience businesses.
Collins Onyango, the chairman of Bunge la Wananchi's City Hall branch, said police officers had been sent to disrupt their meetings.
Mr Onyango claimed the Jubilee government is infringing on their basic rights.
“We were barred from holding our daily meetings at City Hall. When we [asked why], we were handcuffed and taken to the Central Police Station, where we were accused of urinating in the area and that we were a threat to businesses,” said Mr Onyango.
Members of Bunge la Mwananchi were last month accused of stoning a Chase Bank outlet in the area as President Uhuru Kenyatta submitted his nomination papers to the electoral commission at the KICC.
Nasa Young Turks chairman Jaoko Oburu said the ban is a violation of people's freedom and that they would take legal action against the police.
