NCIC urges Raila to call off anti-gov’t protests, calls for dialogue
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has called on the opposition to call off their weekly protests following cases of widespread violence and destruction of property reported on Monday, March 27, 2023.
In a statement on Tuesday, NCIC Chairperson Samuel Kobia condemned the violence, saying though the constitution guarantees the right to picket, it does not guarantee the right to perform illegal acts against people and their property.
A church and a mosque were set ablaze in Kibera slums on Monday night as rival groups clashed just hours after opposition leader Raila Odinga concluded anti-government protests in the area.
Several stalls near the mosque and church were also razed down in the Monday night attacks, where one of the groups was accused of sponsoring the violence.
"The wanton destruction of cars, mosques, churches etc is not acceptable and is hereby condemned in the harshest terms possible. Such acts not only disturb the peace but also create a worry that tensions may escalate into religious conflict and ethnic profiling," Kobia said.
At the same time, the commission condemned attacks on the property linked to Raila and former President Uhuru Kenyatta's family in Embakasi and Ruiru on Monday.
"We were also further appalled by the actions of some who invaded private property in the name of settling age-old land rights issues that have dogged our country since before independence. The senseless destruction of property is an outright illegal act which can only lead to more acrimony," he said.
He warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands, saying such acts were a "recipe for utter chaos".
"As the adage goes, "an eye for an eye makes a community blind" will soon become true if we continue this path of taking the law into the hands of civilians. It is also to be realized that there is no one with the monopoly for mobilizing violence. Anarchy is not justified no matter the grievance we may have. Our courts and our laws exist to ensure justice is served to all without fear or favour. Taking the law into our own hands is a recipe for utter chaos," Kobia said.
The NCIC boss called for dialogue between the opposition and President William Ruto to end the ongoing demonstrations which Raila claims are aimed at pushing the government to address the high cost of living and electoral injustice in the country.
Kobia said NCIC is ready to initiate national conversations on the pressing issues on the table.
"We as the NCIC call for an immediate stop to these demonstrations and counter-demonstrations and the adoption of dialogue as a means of moving our country forward," Kobia stated.
"There are indeed deep issues we need to address from the cost of living to the grinding poverty structural inequalities and indeed even to issues of land ownership and equity. We can't solve these issues by shouting at each other and destroying property.
"However we can solve them by doing what even God says in Isaiah 1:18 "Come let us reason together; says the Lord". We call on the leadership of the political divides to come together, talk with each other and address these issues in a sober and judicious manner.
"And in so doing put the interest of Kenya first and be mindful of the needs and aspirations of Wanjiku. Let's stop violence and instead talk with each other also as Kenyan brothers and sisters and not enemies. As NCIC we are ready to initiate national conversations on the pressing issues on the table."
At least one person was killed and several others injured in Kisumu in the anti-government protests that entered the second week on Monday.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), several police officers were also injured in the protests witnessed in several parts of the country.
