IG Koome condemns attack on police officers, destruction of property during Azimio demos

Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has condemned attacks against police officers and destruction of private property during Monday's Azimio la Umoja's anti-government protests.
In a statement, the IG said 23 officers were injured while two police vehicles and property of unknown value were destroyed in Nairobi.
"We also received reports of invasion and destruction of a farm in Kiambu County. Relatedly, we received reports of an invasion of a private company within Embakasi area in Nairobi to which our officers responded swiftly and prevented further crimes," said the IG.

He added that a probe into the two invasions has begun with a view to apprehending those found culpable.

The IG, however, did not respond to the chaos witnessed in Kibera on Monday night where a church, stalls and several buildings were torched by criminals with residents saying police did not heed their calls for help.

The Interfaith Council and Human rights organizations joined the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in condemning the arson attack at the PCEA church in Kibera that left behind a trail of destruction.

Read: Day of high drama as gangs storm Kenyatta farm, Raila’s company

The church located along Karanja road within the Olympics area was attacked around 7pm by rowdy youth armed with fuel and crude weapons.

Also attacked were a series of stalls located behind the adjacent Masjid Al-Aqsa mosque.

Eyewitnesses said the arsonists forcefully gained access to the church compound and broke into the church hall offices and kitchen where they destroyed furniture including the church podium, monitors and documents, as well as floors and windows by pelting stones before lighting up a fire that spread across the church causing panic across the densely populated area.

Locals said the attack on the church may have been pre-planned as the attackers came carrying fuel and armed with machetes at around 7pm.

They added that they seemed to have protection from authorities as calls to the neighbouring police stations for help did not yield much.

They said only a few officials from the local administration came in to help including the area chief.

Millie Akinyi faulted the police for targeting protesters leaving the criminals free to loot and burn the stalls alongside the church.

"They came with machetes and fuel and started attacking us, setting fire to the stalls before getting to the church, but the police did nothing," she said.

Speaking after assessing the damage at the church and the stalls behind Masjid Al-Aqsa mosque on Tuesday, religious leaders led by the moderator of the PCEA church Rt Rev Thegu Mutahi said the incident was second of that nature since 2017 when the church was attacked in a similar manner forcing them to demolish and rebuild it.

He warned politicians to engage in talks to avert similar occurrences as tensions rise over Monday’s attack on private property.

“There are so many problems in the country but that seems to have taken a back seat and now politics have taken centre stage as the youth get involved in criminal acts. This was a criminal act, not a religious fight,” said the moderator.

The chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Mr Hassan Ole Nado said it was unfortunate that the attack was happening at the onset of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

“Christians and Muslims have never been enemies. We live in the same neighbourhoods, our children play together and some attend the same schools and we go to the same hospitals and breathe the same air given freely by God Almighty.”

“It is for these reasons that as religious leaders we are deeply pained and regret the unfolding and spiralling incidences of violence linked to nationwide protests called by Azimio One Kenya Coalition,” he said.

Amnesty International and Haki Africa Executive Directors Irungu Houghton and Hussein Khalid called out the police for not heeding the locals' calls for help when the attacks happened.

“To have two places of worship attacked within an hour of each other shows something is wrong with our politics. How do we allow ourselves to be manipulated by politicians and criminals: /Where were the police when the attacks were happening in Kibra? In Spectre and in Northlands? All have a right to security, we need to see a change of strategy before the next demonstrations slated for Thursday,” he said.

Gunshot wounds

Mr Khalid called on the police to be neutral in their delivery of services to Kenyans

“We call on the police not to agree to be used. Kibera residents deserve protection and as we in civil society are called to be neutral, the police also need to be neutral to avert the loss of life and property. In all of these we shall be calling on accountability from the police, the government and the opposition,” he said.

Idris Ahmad, an Imam in Kibera announced that one man had succumbed to gunshot wounds during the attack and that two others are nursing gunshot wounds sustained during the incident.

Area Sub County Police Commander Andrew Mbogo urged the residents to maintain law and order.

"We were here yesterday, we know there was disorder by those that wanted to loot and torch but we want the residents to refrain from attacking one another," he said.