The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Sunday urged security agencies to be restraint ahead of the planned Saba Saba protests set to be held on Monday, July 7, 2025.
In a statement, NCCK raised concerns over the growing trend of what they termed as the State blatantly, violently and illegally denying Kenyans the right to picket.
It lamented the recent fatal shootings of peaceful protesters and the Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen’s shoot-on-sight orders which pose a great threat to the freedom of protests in Kenya.
The churches demanded that police officers should act within the confines of the National Police Service Act and should provide adequate security to all peaceful and unarmed demonstrators.
“The Police must not facilitate or partner with the armed goons who have been terrorizing Kenyans and should instead arrest them together with their financiers,” read the statement in part.
It also demanded that interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen withdraw his statement and be prepared “to carry responsibility for all extra-judicial killings done by the police”.
It also called for the withdrawal of the controversial Public Order (Amendment) Bill sponsored by Nairobi Woman representative Esther Passaris, which proposes limitations on the premises of holding protests.
Passaris is adamant with her proposals. She on Sunday also waded into the protest debate claiming the planned demonstrations have been sponsored by foreigners.
Her proposal to cordon protests to designated zones has been opposed by a slew of parliamentarians and politicians who cite the violation of constitutional rights
Saba Saba is remembered as the day nationwide protests took place on July 7, 1990, when Kenyans took to the streets to demand free elections and the approval of multiparty democracy in Kenya
Amid the calls for police restraint and safety concerns, some schools have announced that their gates will remain closed as the protests take course.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
