Trans Nzoia faults Mutyambai’s orders to fine people caught without facemasks
Non Governmental Organisations in Trans Nzoia county have faulted the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambayi for enforcing punitive laws on face masks.
The Centre for Restoration of Human Rights and Democracy Director Kefa Were led other human rights defenders in criticizing Mutyambayi’s orders saying it would infringe on the rights of people.
"The order by Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambayi will bring back police brutality and cause untold suffering especially to those from humble backgrounds. The directive is uncalled for and it should be rescinded with immediate effect failure to which we will seek legal interpretations,’’ he said.
He said the government should not allow the police to enforce the law as the State has been unable to play e policy, pointing to the government’s failure to provide face masks to the citizens.
He, however, heaped praise on President Uhuru Kenyatta for his early efforts to stem the spread.
"Kenyans are already a tired lot and should not be fined such amounts of money for failing to put on masks that are supposed to be freely provided by the government’’, he told the People Daily in Kitale.
Hundreds of residents at the Kitale bus terminus on Friday and Saturday went on their normal businesses without face masks blaming the government for not providing the protection items.
A commercial sex worker along Laini Moja street told People Daily "It was the responsibility of a client to buy a mask, saying the little earnings of a day could not sustain her if she bought one.
A guard Maurice Wafula narrated said private security companies should provide their staff with facemasks.
