NARC party leader Martha Karua has called out President William Ruto following the arrest of several activists who had planned parallel Mashujaa Day celebrations at Uhuru Park on Sunday, October 20.
In a statement on X on Monday, October 21, Karua accused the Kenya Kwanza regime of using the police to brutalize citizens.
"Ruto and the KK regime are so consistent in their hatred of Kenyans and disdain for our constitution, that they can deploy National Police Service (NPS) to arbitrarily arrest and brutalize citizens whose only crime was to choose to congregate and celebrate our fallen heroes at Uhuru Park," she wrote on X.
On Mashujaa Day, parallel celebrations led by activists including Eric Omondi and Boniface Mwangi occurred at Uhuru Park but were met with heavy police presence and violent confrontations.
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The event aimed to honor victims of anti-government protests from June to August 2024, during which over 61 people died.
"We will not forget the 61, there are families who have not been compensated to date, there are families who have not been supported to date and it has not even been discussed in Parliament," Nerima Wako said.
Police deployed anti-riot units and used tear gas to disperse crowds, resulting in numerous arrests, including that of activist Hussein Khalid.
Activists criticized the government's actions, arguing that they violated the right to peaceful assembly and remembrance in a public space.
The Nairobi County government had warned against gatherings at Uhuru Park on October 20.
In a statement dated Thursday, October 17, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja explained that the move was aimed at ensuring that everyone enjoys the services of the park.
He, therefore, reiterated that the Park will be open to the public for recreational purposes.
"Uhuru Park has been open and remains open to the public every day. Every Kenyan is allowed to come and is welcome to enjoy their Park. You can also book for events.
"A public park is, however, not available to be reserved for exclusive use during a public holiday. Other Kenyans will also want to enjoy it. It can be reserved on any other day. Kujeni tu mmoja mmoja mjae hakuna haja ya kuomba," read the statement in part.
