Senator Osotsi: Police largely to blame for aftermath of Monday protests

According to Senator Osotsi, police officers unnecessarily started lobbying teargas on Azimio protesters soon as they walked into Nairobi's CBD, provoking a retaliation from the crowd.

Speaking on Citizen TV's Daybreak show on Tuesday, the legislator opined that if police officers opted not to fight the masses then there would be no looting, destruction of property and loss of lives.

"The police action was unwarranted. Even before the procession started they were all over town blocking roads and harassing people. From what we saw yesterday the police are largely to blame. They used teargas where it was not necessary even on members of Parliament," he stated. 

"I saw that Azimio protesters were peaceful but were provoked by police in some cases so the limited violence you saw was because police used excessive force."

The havoc had rocked different parts of the nation for the better part of Monday as protesters and police officers engaged in a shone-teargas-bullets exchange for hours.

Property was vandalized as road railings and street signs were demolished as well as a few buildings pelted with stones.

Azimio boss Raila Odinga, flanked by other top-ranking Azimio leaders, was also caught up in the middle as their motorcade was teargassed and sprayed with water canons.

However, a Maseno University student was shot dead by police during the protests, which had turned violent.

A police report indicated that the rioting students invaded a supermarket in Maseno town.