The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has issued a warning over claims that certain political figures may be plotting to unleash armed gangs to violently disrupt demonstrations scheduled for Wednesday, June 25.
In a statement on Tuesday, June 24, LSK President Faith Odhiambo expressed alarm over the reports, arguing that it will plunge the country into anarchy.
"The Law Society of Kenya is deeply concerned by media reports that have emerged over an alleged scheme by some politicians and political operatives to set up an organized gang of armed goons to mete violence against protestors taking part in the planned march in memory of the victims of last year's June 25th demonstrations.
"It is a cause of grave worry that these media reports are not far-fetched, or even exaggerated. There is sufficient material in the public domain to justify the public apprehension that this ill-conceived plot not only exists, but may be at such an extensive scale that it threatens to plunge Kenya into anarchy," the statement read.
Odhiambo drew attention to alarming public utterances made by Tiaty MP William Kamket who threatened to transport armed bandits to Nairobi.
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"Save for public social media posts by high-ranking political operatives, our attention has been drawn to a viral video of the Member of Parliament for Tiaty Constituency, Mr. William Kassait Kamket, threatening to transport armed bandits to Nairobi to maim protestors, in what has been woefully packaged as defending the Government.
"It is inimical to the rule of law to pit Kenyans against themselves under the guise of protecting the state where adequate institutions exist," the statement continued.
Odhiambo linked the threats to some pro-government figures portraying youth-led protests as acts of defiance rather than expressions of constitutional rights.
"These remarks are neither isolated nor novel; they are consistent with a narrative propagated by pro-government politicians over the past year, proposing that political dissent by the youth is nothing but disobedience and mannerlessness, which the Government has a godforsaken duty to punish.
"This narrative must be seen for what it is - an effort to diminish the human rights enshrined in the Bill of rights, and undermine the political views and sovereign authority of the people of Kenya," the statement added.
Odhiambo called on the security agencies to disassociate themselves from the alleged plan, further calling for investigations into the claims.
"We call upon the National Security Organs, led by the National Security Council, to expressly dissociate themselves from any involvement in this scheme by taking firm, decisive action against these self-confessed enemies of the state.
"There must be an elaborate, transparent and swift investigation into how far this criminal conspiracy runs, and all persons involved must be arrested and prosecuted to prevent their plan from materializing. We are apprehensive that the failure to act accordingly as required by the law is, ostensibly, a worrying confirmation of complicity and abdication of duty. We must not allow our county and institutions to suffer such damage that would be impossible to recover from," the statement further read.
