As leaders allied to the opposition in other parts of the country continue to marshal Kenyans into demonstrations in Kilifi the picture is different since most of the vocal leaders led by Senator Stewart Madzayo and Malindi MP Amina Munyazi have gone not hideouts after their colleagues were arrested on Wednesday.
Kilifi South Member of Parliament Ken Chonga and County Assembly Speaker Teddy Mwambire among others were arrested on Wednesday at Mtwapa as they led demonstrators.
Coast Times Digital can authoritatively report that the vocal Kilifi ODM leaders have resorted to switching off their phones to avoid being tracked, this is after also the arrest of MP Babu Owino.
Munyazi resorted to speaking through social media condemning the action of the police, who she accused of hunting down leaders, including herself
- βPolice officers are everywhere looking for Amina Munyazi,β said the MP in a viral self-recorded video from an unidentified area.
She has instead of coming out decided to speak through social media condemning the action of the police, accusing them of hunting down leaders, including herself.
On Tuesday evening Senator Madzayo who had been silent since Wednesday appeared at a Malindi hotel where he addressed journalists before being driven swiftly out of the hotel, heading to an unknown place.
- βThis is a sad day and many more sad days ahead of us because we have been taken back to the dark days of the Moi era when whenever a Kenyan wanted to speak, he had to look behind his shoulders to see whether someone else was listening,β noted Madzayo.
He accused President William Ruto’s administration of high-handedness in dealing with dissenting voices, claiming that Parliament is no longer independent as the Executive forces fearful legislators to pass punitive laws.
βParliament has been gagged. Bills are being forced on Kenyans. There is absolutely no substantive debate that takes place in Parliament. Iβve seen members of Parliament being like robots; they are told what to do by State House,β he claimed.
Shaken Madzayo urged the government to let Kenyans speak their minds as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution.
He said that the unprecedented police presence in all major towns was instilling fear in Kenyans who are supposed to protest peacefully.
βLegislators are so scared. Unless you are on the other side of the coin or the majority, thatβs where you can speak; but if you are in the opposition, you cannot speak your mind. I have never seen this before,β he said.
Senator Madzayo traded his gun to Judiciary for denying MP Ken Chonga and speaker Mwambire bail.
- “The charges facing them were misdmisdemeanours even personal bonds or cash bails could be granted,” he claimed.
On Thursday, police officers manned all entry and exit routes to and from Malindi town, stopping all vehicles and searching them, forcing the leaders to use panya routes in a bid to evade arrests.
Malindi Bishop Thomas Kakala has supported the government saying it was right in stopping the protests claiming that demonstrations have caused more pain to Kenyans.
Kilifi House of Bishops chair also called on President William Ruto and opposition chief Raila Odinga to talk to each other to stop the ongoing violence.
He also called for the enactment of a law that forces organizers of demonstrations to take full responsibility for the effects of such protests, including paying for damages and losses incurred during the demos.
