The Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Korir Sing'Oei, has dismissed a joint statement by foreign envoys calling for the government to back off and allow Kenyans to exercise their rights to protest.
Responding to the statement, Sing'Oei maintained that even though the right to picket needs to be protected, the government would still take a stance against any "weaponisation" of the protests.
As such, he stated that any reports of the same would be met with condemnation, alluding that the police officers would still be disbursed to quell the protests as Kenyans plan to commemorate victims of last year's anti-finance bill protests.
"Thank you for the statement. Democratic protest must be protected, but any weaponisation of protests to achieve extra-constitutional objectives must be met with strong condemnation. Kenya’s stability is paramount," he stated.
In the statement cosigned by 12 foreign envoys, they warned Kenya against violence against protesters and the rampant infiltration of the protests by masked police officers and hired goons.
“We are troubled by the use of hired 'goons' to infiltrate or disrupt peaceful gatherings. Protecting the right to protest is vital to preserving civic space and a cornerstone of Kenya's vibrant democracy,” the statement reads in part.
