Churches call for lawful police conduct ahead of Saba Saba protests

In a statement on Sunday, NCCK raised concerns over the growing trend of what they termed as the State blatantly, violently and illegally denying Kenyans the right to picket.

It lamented the recent fatal shootings of peaceful protesters and the Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen's shoot-on-sight orders which pose a great threat to the freedom of protests in Kenya.

The churches demanded that police officers should act within the confines of the National Police Service Act and should provide adequate security to all peaceful and unarmed demonstrators.

"The Police must not facilitate or partner with the armed goons who have been terrorizing Kenyans and should instead arrest them together with their financiers," read the statement in part.

It also demanded that CS Murkomen withdraw his statement and be prepared "to carry responsibility for all extra-judicial killings done by the police".

Similarly, it also called for the withdrawal of the controversial Public Order (Amendment) Bill sponsored by Nairobi Woman representative Esther Passaris, which proposes limitations on the premises of holding protests.

SabaSaba is remembered as the day nationwide protests took place on July 7, 1990, when Kenyans took to the streets to demand free elections and the approval of multiparty democracy in Kenya.