Ruthless Police Rough Up Kenyans Over Matiang'i Orders

Day one of the national census exercise which kicked off, on Saturday, witnessed a wide-scale use of force by Kenya Police officers.

Several videos of the officers roughing up Kenyans in a bid to force them to go back to their homes for the counting exercise have since emerged.

This was after Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS), Fred Matiang'i had issued a countrywide decree, stating that all bars and restaurants were to remain closed over the weekend from 5pm, in order to facilitate the smooth running of the census exercise.

Police Officers pictured conducting checks at a bar August 24, 2019

However, Kenyans were left perturbed following the ruthlessness of the officers, who reportedly used teargas canisters in some areas, in a bid to coerce people into their homes.

"Current Situation in Lucky Summer Estate, Nairobi. Police using teargas to force roadside sellers and shops to close and go to their houses to be counted. Why is the government hell-bent on fighting its own citizens? Which policy is this?" Kodiwo Antony Ben tweeted.

Others simply pointed out the fact that the Interior CS had issued orders pertaining to bars, adding that his decree had been used as a tool by officers to extort innocent Kenyans.

"Police officers from lucky summer are threatening and roughing up people for being outside past 5 pm. Why are they misinterpreting Matiangi’s directives? Or is there a curfew?" Dominic Korwa questioned

In a damaging turn of events, the entire census exercise in Kayole North, Nairobi is under jeopardy, after the enumerators downed their tools and took to the streets, over claims of non-payment.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Chairman, Zachary Mwangi, maintained that the census officials would only be paid once the undertaking was over and each of them had accounted for their registration devices.

Image showing shops. Most premises remained closed over the weekend
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