Tuesday, June 6, 2023 –Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Abraham Korir Sing’oei did differ with the police following the harassment and arrest of peaceful anti-Finance Bill 2023 that took place in Nairobi CBD.
In his sharp-veiled vent on Twitter, the PS differed with the police for disrupting the anti-Bill protests that started at Jevanjee Gardens way to Haramabee House.
He asked the police to leave alone the protesters as long as they are not armed saying it is enshrined in the Constitution.
“While I do not have the full context under which the arrests were made, I hold the view that no peaceful protest, particularly one focused on an ongoing national economic conversation, should be disrupted nor should any arrests be carried out,” he stated.
The State official was reacting minutes after he learnt that a section of Anti-finance bill protestors were being arrested while marching towards the Parliament building and along Harambee House.
During the protests, some of the demonstrators could be seen arguing with police officers as they were being loaded into police cars towards Central Police Station.
Activist Boniface Mwangi was also in the company of the protesters and who called out President William Ruto whom he described as a dictator.
“The hasola president William Ruto is a dictatorship loading. Sending police to arrest peaceful protesters for exercising their right to be heard is dictatorial behaviour,” Mwangi captioned the altercation video.
The Finance Bill 2023 has since received a backlash with a number of Kenyans, civil societies and politicians allied to the Azimio la Umoja coalition expressing their reservations with some of the tax measures proposed in the bill.
Azimio la Umoja’s Okiya Omtatah has already filed a petition in the court to seek orders that could stop the whole exercise until a consensus is reached.
