The Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud addressing the media at the DCI training school on demonstrations/FILE
Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud has said no one has formally notified the police of any planned protests in the capital on Tuesday, July 7, warning that any gathering held without the required notification will be treated as illegal.
Speaking after a meeting with top police commanders in Nairobi, Mohamud assured residents that security remains under control and urged the public to go about their normal activities.
“Tomorrow is a normal working day, and public transport will not be affected, although there will be screening of vehicles entering the city. Of course, we must conduct screening,” he said.
He added that there was no cause for alarm, saying, “There will be no problem at all. The day will be a normal working day.”
His remarks come amid heightened attention over planned Saba Saba demonstrations scheduled for Tuesday.
However, a Nairobi-based lobby group, the Grassroots Economic Justice Movement, says it has already served a formal notice on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the Nairobi Regional Police Commander and the Officer Commanding Central Police Station, informing them of its intention to hold peaceful protests.
According to the notice, between 1,000 and 3,000 participants are expected to march from Jeevanjee Gardens to Parliament Buildings, where they plan to present a petition demanding parliamentary intervention over alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and the excessive use of force by security agencies.
The organisation said the procession would be peaceful and that volunteer marshals would be deployed to help manage the crowd.
Meanwhile, Makadara MP George Aladwa said ODM members would not take part in the planned demonstrations.
“We have said the government should provide security so people can continue with their work. Those who do casual labour should go because they earn money daily. There are leaders who plan protests and then run away when that day comes. Those who want to demonstrate should do so, and the police should provide them with protection,” Aladwa said.
Saba Saba, observed on July 7, commemorates the 1990 pro-democracy movement that demanded the reintroduction of multi-party politics in Kenya.
The day has since become a symbol of civic action and is frequently marked by demonstrations calling for governance reforms and accountability.
