Running battles in city streets as police disperse anti-Chiloba crowd

Nasa supporters on September 26, 2017 run after being tear-gassed by police officers outside Anniversary Towers - the IEBC head office - during a protest seeking changes at the IEBC. Police also arrested some of the demonstrators and took them to the Central Police Station. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Nasa supporters and a group calling itself Nairobi Business Community Traders clashed outside Anniversary Towers.
  • Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said it was agreed that Mr Odinga and the other leaders should not participate in the protests.

Hundreds of police officers used tear gas to disperse dozens of National Super Alliance supporters who turned up at the offices of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in a protest to push chief executive officer Ezra Chiloba out of office.

Nasa supporters and a group calling itself Nairobi Business Community Traders clashed outside Anniversary Towers — the IEBC head office — with the opposition supporters pelting the others with stones, before police deployed tear gas to prevent a confrontation.

Both teams had been peaceful from around 10am, with the Nasa supporters calmly marching and shouting “Chiloba must go” while their opponents claimed they wanted peace and that the Nasa team should stop insulting the President.

PEACE
At around noon, the Nasa crowd, which was numbering tens increased to hundreds, some who were in a truck, and it is at this point that they started throwing stones at the other group that was standing at the Anniversary Towers entrance.

“We are tired of the commission promising things and not doing them. Chiloba must go so that we can have a peaceful election because he is the one who helped to steal the other one,” a protester said.

UNSHAKEN

All this time, Mr Chiloba was in his office, watching the chaos unfold in the streets below, unperturbed.

He later said he was busy preparing for the October 26 repeat polls.

“We are in the office working. People have a right to demonstrate. I have not thought about it (resigning). I have a responsibility, which I have to discharge,” he said.

LEADERS ABSENT
But the absence of Nasa flagbearer Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, Mr Musalia Mudavadi and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula at the demonstration failed to give it the weight reminiscent of last year’s protests for the removal of IEBC commissioners.

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said it was agreed that Mr Odinga and the other leaders should not participate in the peaceful protests, his Suba South colleague John Mbadi said that Thursday’s would be the mother of all demonstrations.

Mr Mbadi added" “We are coming back on Thursday and it will be a protest like no other.”

“We told our leaders to leave this one to us. But it has nothing to do with the withdrawal of their security detail,” Mr Mohamed said.

CLASH

Businesses on most streets in the city centre were closed as police engaged the protesters in running battles.

The group of demonstrators that was opposed to the Nasa protesters said the demonstrations were taking a toll on their businesses.

They had arrived at the Anniversary Towers through Moi Avenue and moments later, the pro-Nasa demonstrators, who used Uhuru Highway, also arrived.

The two groups exchanged bitter words before a clash ensued, prompting police to move in with tear gas.

Police also arrested some of the demonstrators and took them to the Central Police Station.

POLICE
Nairobi Police Commander Japhet Koome said he only deployed officers who have been working in Nairobi and did not have to outsource from other counties.

“The officers have been deployed to all corners of town to ensure that no one destroys property or hurts another,” Mr Koome said.

Police officers in full combat gear patrolled the city as others were stationed outside the Supreme Court, in Uhuru Park, the Globe Cinema Roundabout and Taifa Lane among other places on standby.

In some areas such as Koinange Street and Moi Avenue, signs outside shops were destroyed.

SUPPORTERS
In Kisumu, Nasa supporters took to the streets to vent their anger against IEBC officials whom they accuse of interfering with last month’s presidential election.

They brandished twigs and waved placards demanding the resignation of Mr Chiloba and several other top officials fingered by the opposition.

The protesters were joined by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and Kisumu Central members of the county assembly.

REFORMS

They accused Mr Chiloba and his group of conspiring to interfere with the election last month, which would later be nullified by the Supreme Court.

The governor said there was need for reforms in the electoral commission at the national level.

“As Kisumu people, we are demanding reforms in IEBC. Chiloba must vacate office to restore confidence of Kenyans in the electoral commission,” Prof Nyong’o said.