Inspector of Police and NKaissery must not be allowed to use excessive force

[RV Pundit]

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What is happening is really tragic. Police should use reasonable force and what is on display is purely barbaric. CORD are also not blameless. Majority of the demonstrators are low life thugs with no interest in any of the issues but simply to rob and cause chaos. CORD should organize with the police on how to conduct peaceful demonstration.

[Kadudu]

Why are you surprised at the police brutallity? It happened just the other day at the UON where students were beaten infront of the eyes of the public and many females raped by the said security forces. Nothing happens to this police. They know they are covered and can do what they want.
We stopped the police reforms and now we have to pay the price.

[Empedocles]

What is happening is really tragic. Police should use reasonable force and what is on display is purely barbaric. CORD are also not blameless. Majority of the demonstrators are low life thugs with no interest in any of the issues but simply to rob and cause chaos. CORD should organize with the police on how to conduct peaceful demonstration.

That's if we assume CORD is really interested in peaceful demonstrations.

CORD provoked the "brutal inhumane police force" (newspeak for Jubilee) to get exactly what they wanted.

Jubilee is losing this one either way.

They'll need to start thinking (which would surprise me) instead of reacting.

[RV Pundit]

Yeah we lost the police reform along the way and we back to square one.

Why are you surprised at the police brutallity? It happened just the other day at the UON where students were beatee infront of the eyes of the public and many females raped by the said security forces. Nothing happens to this police. They know they are covered and can do what they want.
We stopped the police reforms and now we have to pay the price.

[Omollo]

If the Police (and CORD) cannot arrange such, then an act of parliament can set out a Protest Code of Conduct which would basically lay out the perimeter / distances for protests and picketing.

Being arrested is part of a demo. Instead of teargas and bullets. The protestors should state how many people will volunteer to be arrested and enough space created for them. Once arrested the procedure for bond / bail should be clearly stated and figures set. No need to emphasize that people shall be treated with utmost respect and decorum.

I think this is long over due.

Black Marias and teargas has no room in a civilized country.

On the other hand, Uhuru and Ruto must show a willingness to run free and fair elections. Let them use their incumbency advantage to the fullest but should eschew trickery and short cuts. The idea that government shall make life difficult for the opposition is what led KANU to ignominy.

I know there is bravado and chest thumping. But it takes very little to change the flow of events. This has to stop. It is spreading around the country and it is taking an ethnic shape even though it is not ethnic.

[Omollo]

I disagree with your suggesting that CORD wanted violence.

Of course just like in many issues, it is given the first person to cross a certain line in a stand off loses. So when Jubilee threw teargas it lost hands down. You can bet that any politician would want to "win". However I believe CORD had no plans of violence.

There are matters to be investigated such as the social media stories of Maina Kamanda and Moses Kuria busing in goons to rob and rape so CORD could take a hit. There is information that these goons were chaperoned through the streets to specific areas and their guides kept the police away from them. Like all such stories there is a twist. 

One cannot use such brutal force and then claim "Self Defence" or "Insanity arising from provocation"

What is happening is really tragic. Police should use reasonable force and what is on display is purely barbaric. CORD are also not blameless. Majority of the demonstrators are low life thugs with no interest in any of the issues but simply to rob and cause chaos. CORD should organize with the police on how to conduct peaceful demonstration.

That's if we assume CORD is really interested in peaceful demonstrations.

CORD provoked the "brutal inhumane police force" (newspeak for Jubilee) to get exactly what they wanted.

Jubilee is losing this one either way.

They'll need to start thinking (which would surprise me) instead of reacting.

[RV Pundit]

I think both are to blame with the police taking more blame. some demonstrators were armed with stones and started throwing the stones at the police...unprovoked. This was reported by both local and foreign media.

Police should have resorted with reasonable force to the provocation.CORD have to sit down with the police and agree how they can do this. But haven't we seen video of Raila and others trying to bring down the anniversary barricade.

Otherwise personally I am really shocked and dismayed by our police excessive use of force including what seem like cold blooded murder in front of TV cameras. They take 90% of the blame here. CORD takes 10%.

If the Police (and CORD) cannot arrange such, then an act of parliament can set out a Protest Code of Conduct which would basically lay out the perimeter / distances for protests and picketing.

Being arrested is part of a demo. Instead of teargas and bullets. The protestors should state how many people will volunteer to be arrested and enough space created for them. Once arrested the procedure for bond / bail should be clearly stated and figures set. No need to emphasize that people shall be treated with utmost respect and decorum.

I think this is long over due.

Black Marias and teargas has no room in a civilized country.

On the other hand, Uhuru and Ruto must show a willingness to run free and fair elections. Let them use their incumbency advantage to the fullest but should eschew trickery and short cuts. The idea that government shall make life difficult for the opposition is what led KANU to ignominy.

I know there is bravado and chest thumping. But it takes very little to change the flow of events. This has to stop. It is spreading around the country and it is taking an ethnic shape even though it is not ethnic.

[Empedocles]

I disagree with your suggesting that CORD wanted violence.

Of course just like in many issues, it is given the first person to cross a certain line in a stand off loses. So when Jubilee threw teargas it lost hands down. You can bet that any politician would want to "win". However I believe CORD had no plans of violence.

There are matters to be investigated such as the social media stories of Maina Kamanda and Moses Kuria busing in goons to rob and rape so CORD could take a hit. There is information that these goons were chaperoned through the streets to specific areas and their guides kept the police away from them. Like all such stories there is a twist. 

One cannot use such brutal force and then claim "Self Defence" or "Insanity arising from provocation"

I may not like RAO but that does not mean that I consider him stupid. Stubborn he may be but not stupid.

Just like all protests in third world countries, such arrogant (from the POV of the ruling idiots) refusal to follow orders i.e. stop the demonstrations, must be met with violence. Which they were.

CORD expected it, hoped for it, and finally got it. Without the kind of violence and international press coverage CORD got yesterday, it's very obvious Jubilee would just keep on stonewalling. Now it's Jubilee who's been caught off guard. It's pure stupidity of Jubilee to fall for it, hook, line, and sinker, but I honestly never expected anything different from Jubilee. Like I may have mentioned before, Jubilee seriously lacks thinkers and the lessons they could have learned from the Arab spring.

Let's wait until next week Monday and see how Uhuruto, now being seen as the bad bad men, take to their new role.

P.S. Watch CORD's court case on the IEBC. Smart move.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

If you are talking about the video doing rounds, I saw the man being smacked on the head with a rungu and dropping down motionless.  I got the impression that the second cop in body armor was whipping a lifeless corpse at that point. 

What is scary was the ethnically tinged commentary on social media; with GEMA basically celebrating the human rights violations of this guy. 

Like Omollo mentioned I can believe there were Jubilee plants meant to incite the police and the crowds.

[Omollo]

Empedocles

About the case: It is going nowhere. The judge will refuse to grant the prayers and set a date for hearing "inter-parties".

CORD may have boxed itself in a corner as there is a likelihood of a demand being made that they stop demos while the case is ongoing.

Note that they can remove the dirty three - Letangule, Alawi and Hassan. However it is hard to touch the others who are just as corrupt and inept.

That aside, I think somebody should start going through that constitution and de-advocatize it. Make it advocate-free. There are too many jobs set aside for lawyers. What we need are people with a good education yes but also integrity and other qualities not necessarily found in lawyers.

[Georgesoros]

Law enforcement starts with a morally disciplined force. This is not displayed in any way shape of form. The kind of impunity that the Kenya police displays reflects the top leadership. Top leadership tells them that They are immune to prosecution, even when they murder. Same thing happened at ICC, the many corruption cases, etc. Parliament displays the same arrogance. So, even if the youth become thugs, they are a reflection from the Kenyan leadership - all the way from the president to mpigs, mcas, etc.

[Kadudu]

Umesema. Why do we allow politicians to steal and show their loot openly and then expect the jobless youth to adhere to the laws of the land?

Law enforcement starts with a morally disciplined force. This is not displayed in any way shape of form. The kind of impunity that the Kenya police displays reflects the top leadership. Top leadership tells them that They are immune to prosecution, even when they murder. Same thing happened at ICC, the many corruption cases, etc. Parliament displays the same arrogance. So, even if the youth become thugs, they are a reflection from the Kenyan leadership - all the way from the president to mpigs, mcas, etc.

[MOON Ki]

Commentary on social media suggests that  there is no shortage of Kenyans who support the police in their brutality.    With that sort of attitude---"as long as it's those others getting it"---police reform will be an elusive dream.  (Of course the cheering crowds don't see that they too will eventually pay for an out-of-control police force.) The "leaders" certainly won't interfere with actions that sock it to their detractors.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Commentary on social media suggests that  there is no shortage of Kenyans who support the police in their brutality.    With that sort of attitude---"as long as it's those others getting it"---police reform will be an elusive dream.  (Of course the cheering crowds don't see that they too will eventually pay for an out-of-control police force.) The "leaders" certainly won't interfere with actions that sock it to their detractors.

That's is what really caught my attention.  The smug satisfaction of the cheering squad; kamwana can't flex his muscles enough in their judgment.  The actual violence not so much.  In fact I am surprised at how few people have been killed.

[MOON Ki]

Utumishi Kwa Wote:

[Empedocles]

Empedocles

About the case: It is going nowhere. The judge will refuse to grant the prayers and set a date for hearing "inter-parties".

CORD may have boxed itself in a corner as there is a likelihood of a demand being made that they stop demos while the case is ongoing.

Note that they can remove the dirty three - Letangule, Alawi and Hassan. However it is hard to touch the others who are just as corrupt and inept.

That aside, I think somebody should start going through that constitution and de-advocatize it. Make it advocate-free. There are too many jobs set aside for lawyers. What we need are people with a good education yes but also integrity and other qualities not necessarily found in lawyers.

Actually, I'm thinking otherwise. CORD isn't really interested in a court case per se and probably do know it's going nowhere.

I suspect it has more to do with de-legitimizing the courts (more than the courts themselves have done, what with their high corruption).

Muhammad Ali's famous rope-a-dope:

In competitive situations other than boxing, rope-a-dope is used to describe strategies in which one party purposely puts itself in what appears to be a losing position, attempting thereby to become the eventual victor.

Anyway, let's see how it pans out.

[Georgesoros]

When police break the law, then chaos is the next step. They may be protected now but at some point it will be a PEV, chaos for all.
A govt that is not afraid of the people is not a functioning government. Venezuela is a good case study.
Kenyan police are not trained on law enforcement, rather maim or kill whoever who is anti-govt.

[MOON Ki]

State House is showing its concern.   We are now informed that, contrary to what "Sections of the media had on Monday sensationally reported", a man who was "was caught on camera being viciously beaten by riot policemen" is still alive and is asking for medical help.   See, our coppers aren't as bad as they have been made out to be!  And State House would like to know why the Opposition is not helping him.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/05/17/dead-protester-found-alive-in-kibera_c1352962

[MOON Ki]

@1:42

[Georgesoros]

According to this videos, were they maintaining order or instigating disorder. Why did they use too many trucks to disperse people thereby creating disorder. Someone needs to be accountable, but I think they are using Museveni tactics.