Hate leaflets fail to deter Nasa supporters

Nasa supporters in Kaptembwa, Nakuru County, on September 1, 2017 celebrate the nullification of President Uhuru Kenyatta's election win. The supporters will continue holding with anti-IEBC demos. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Nasa Nakuru branch secretary Hilton Abiola said that Nasa supporters will start holding protests from Monday.
  • Mr Abiola condemned the perpetrators and called on the police to investigate the matter and make arrests.

Hate leaflets warning communities supporting opposition National Super Alliance against holding demonstrations in Nakuru County have failed to cause panic among the targeted residents.

The leaflets were dropped in densely populated Manyani and Kisulisuli estates, which are predominantly inhabited by Nasa supporters, on Thursday night.

The leaflets, written in Kiswahili, say in part: Nasa hooligans be warned! Msijaribu kufanya maandamano Nakuru County. Kutawaka moto. (Nasa hooligans be warned. There will be serious consequence if you attempt to stage any demonstration in Nakuru County).

WITNESS
A boda boda operator transporting a client at night near Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) opposite Kisulisuli Primary School said that he became suspicious when he saw a white saloon car dropping the leaflets.

"I followed the car and slowed down and I saw four occupants dropping the leaflets," the boda boda operator, who declined to be named for security reasons, said.

DEMOS

Nasa Nakuru branch secretary Hilton Abiola, however, said that Nasa supporters will start holding demonstrations from Monday in Nakuru Town.

He urged them to turn out in large numbers.

"We have already informed the police of our intentions to hold peaceful demonstrations and nobody will stop us from exercising our constitutional right," Mr Abiola said.

INTIMIDATION
Mr Abiola condemned the perpetrators and called on the police to investigate the matter and make arrests.

"Nasa supporters are here to stay and no amount of intimidation or threats will deter them from staging the demonstrations," he said.

He observed that despite Nakuru being a Jubilee Party stronghold, it is also a cosmopolitan region and opposition supporters should not be discriminated.

Nakuru police boss Joshua Omukata said he was not aware of the leaflets but promised to investigate the matter.

"I am not aware of those leaflets but we are going to investigate any incident that might jeopardise security of the residents," he said.