Human rights activists in Kisumu have threatened to stage massive demonstrations if the government fails to arrest police officers and suspected goons accused of terrorizing residents and political leaders in the lakeside city.
Speaking to the media in Kisumu, vocal human rights defender Boniface Ogutu Akach accused security agencies of targeting innocent residents while allegedly shielding criminal gangs linked to violence and intimidation in the county.
Akach issued the government with a seven-day ultimatum to arrest officers and individuals allegedly involved in attacks on residents and politicians, warning that activists would mobilize city-wide protests if no action is taken.
“We have given you seven days to arrest all the police officers who have been reported to be working with goons to terrorize people in Kisumu. If those using the government’s name to intimidate residents are not arrested within seven days, we shall hold the mother of all protests to expose what has been happening,” said Akach.
He further claimed that activists would invoke constitutional provisions allowing citizens to conduct public arrests, saying they would personally apprehend suspected goons and rogue officers before taking them to court.
Akach also defended Gabriel Oyuga Nyaoke, popularly known as Omar, who was recently arrested and arraigned in court over allegations of killing a police officer and unlawfully possessing bullets and bhang.
The activist dismissed the accusations as politically motivated, claiming Omar and another suspect identified as Oliver were being persecuted for allegedly opposing government excesses.
He accused investigative agencies and the judiciary of being used to suppress dissent, arguing that supporting politicians perceived to be against the state should not be criminalized.
According to Omar, he was intercepted at Guba Centre while travelling in a matatu to Kisumu Central Business District before being forced into a Subaru vehicle by unknown men.
He alleged that his head was covered with his jacket before being driven around several police stations where officers reportedly declined to officially book him.
Omar further claimed he was transported as far as Eldoret, but officers at various stations allegedly refused to acknowledge his arrest.
He accused his captors of torturing him in an attempt to force him to reveal names of individuals allegedly fighting the government.
Omar maintained that their only demand had been for authorities to arrest individuals accused of attacking leaders and causing chaos in Kisumu, including goons said to have stormed a hotel at Lake Basin Mall and those accused of attacking Godfrey Osotsi at a Kisumu hotel.
The activists also urged police officers to remain politically neutral and serve all Kenyans equally, warning against involvement in what they termed as “one-term and two-term political brigades.”
