Kenya’s main opposition coalition has suspended its demonstrations aimed at pushing for changes in the country’s electoral authority, citing alleged police brutality and killing of its supporters.
This comes after a number of killings were reported during the demonstrations, including a high school student, while a two-year-old child was also hit by a bullet.
The NASA coalition on Tuesday released a statement signed by opposition leader Raila Odinga, accusing state security organs of cooperating with outlawed militia to subdue protesters.
“The latest killings exposed the ugly face of the alliance between the legitimate security organs and militia armed and dressed by the State to subdue people seeking free, fair and credible elections,” the statement read.
The opposition also accused acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matinag’i and the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet of “facilitating gangs on drugs and security officers fed with divisive propaganda and ethnic bigotry to execute a murderous expedition against unarmed and innocent civilians.”
With just nine days before the country holds a repeat presidential election, an air of political uncertainty has engulfed the nation following Odinga’s withdrawal from the vote last week.
He argues that changes to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) were necessary to ensure a credible poll, and that he would not participate in an election that was overseen by the same officials who were in charge of the bungled August 8 vote.
The country’s Supreme Court nullified that election, citing malpractices in the tallying and transmission processes.
The ruling Jubilee Party however accuses the opposition of trying to bully the electoral body into doing things their way.
In honour of the innocent victims of the State, our protests will stay suspended. We will mark the memory of these victims on Mashujaa Day. pic.twitter.com/F2Tlp9ghP5
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) October 17, 2017
