Nairobi Police Commander George Sedah has sent a stern warning against the planned protest at the official residence of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki in Karen, Nairobi, saying the demonstration will not be allowed to proceed.
The warning comes hours after leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua threatened to march to Kindiki's residence, demanding that Gachagua be reinstated as the DP following a controversial ruling by the appellate court.
In a notice to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, the leaders from the Farmers Party had requested police protection during the protests, arguing that they were exercising their constitutional rights and were protecting the sovereign will of Kenyans who had voted for Gachagua in 2022.
''Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal on the removal from office of H.E. Rigathi Gachagua as the Deputy President of Kenya by way of impeachment, we the party and members of the public, will be holding a peaceful procession tomorrow to the official DP residence in Karen to reinstall Rigathi Gachagua as the DP designate, being the rightful holder of the office,'' the statement read in part.
Reacting to the notice, Sedah warned against the protests, revealing that the anti-riot police had already been deployed on several roads leading to the DP's residence to ensure that the protestors were blocked from accessing it.
"The planned protest at the Deputy President's official residence in Karen will not be allowed. Anti-riot officers have been deployed along major routes to prevent any unauthorised movement," Sedah warned.
According to Sedah, the protest poses a potential threat to security and will not be permitted near the DP's official premises.
On May 9, the Court of Appeal ruled that Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu acted out of her mandate when she empanelled a three-judge bench to hear Gachagua’s impeachment case.
The court found that only the Chief Justice has the constitutional authority to form such a panel. As a result, the appellate judges ordered Chief Justice Martha Koome to appoint a new bench within 14 days to hear the petitions challenging Gachagua’s removal.
Meanwhile, DP Kithure Kindiki downplayed the threats and went on with business as usual in Karen. Kindiki held a cabinet meeting with CSs and PSs on Tuesday morning.
According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, the meeting focused on service delivery and reaffirmed the Minister's commitment to key pillars of national development, including governance, public service, finance, infrastructure, land, and economy.
''We emphasised stronger inter-agency collaboration, policy alignment and efficient service delivery for inclusive and impactful development. As the government, we remain committed to building a resilient, accountable, and prosperous Kenya for all,'' Murkomen said after the meeting.
