Dear Kenyans and friends of Kenya,
Yesterday, a member of Bunge la Mwananchi was picked up from Jeevanjee Gardens, held for about half an hour and then released from the Central Police Station. Yet again today, five other members of Bunge la Mwananchi have just been picked up from Jeevanjee, cuffed and paraded as criminals as they were taken to Central Police Station where they are currently being held. The alleged charges against each of those arrested is supposedly that they are inciting the public.
This is an urgent appeal to Bunge la Mwananchi supporters for legal representation for those who are currently in custody. Can any lawyer reading this who is able to join us at Central Police Station as soon as possible please do so and contact me on my number below. Although we do not know the details as I write, we anticipate that we will also require to raise cash bail to secure their release from police custody. Your support in any way that you can is highly appreciated.
Jeevanjee Gardens, Nairobi has been under heavy police surveillance since Saturday 13th December, 2008 for no apparent reason, yet it is a public facility that serves many Kenyans. There have been anti riot police and police dogs in the area and now this heavy police presence has escalated into these arbitrary arrests. In addition, Bunge la Mwananchi members are continually receiving threatening phone calls and text messages, phone calls are tapped and listened to and even communication online is hacked and interfered with.
Bunge la Mwananchi is a non-violent, law abiding social movement whose members do not engage in any criminal activity. Whenever we have any message to get across on behalf of Kenyans, we have done so publicly and without any criminal intent and all our messages have in all cases emanated from Kenyans themselves. We therefore protest and condemn the continued harrassment, intimidation and arbitrary arrests on trumped up charges that our members are being subjected to.
We demand that each of the President, Prime Minister, Minister for Internal Security and Police Commissioner publicly declare the reasons for these unfounded arbitrary arrests of Bunge la Mwananchi members. We further demand that the police immediately cease and desist from this continued blatant violation of our freedoms of assembly, association and movement.
In this regard, this email has been copied to each of the President, the Prime Minister, Police Commissioner’s offices.
Bunge la Mwananchi remains committed to providing a forum from which Kenyans can set the agenda for their leaders by discussing and adopting resolutions on issues that affect them. We refuse and shall not be cowered by intimidation tactics of any type employed against us.
George Nyongesa
Bunge la Mwananchi
+254 720 451 235
Bunge la Mwananchi is a social movement and a member of the Kenya National Civil Society Congress
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