Nigeria proves you can hold protests without violence

A picture of protesters expressing their disaffection with the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria to postpone elections due to fears of insecurity captured the attention of global news readers on Monday.

What was interesting about the AFP images was the civility of the protesters; nicely dressed and holding up placards. It was a refreshing scene on a continent that seems to export purely violent, tragic and sympathetic images and stories that are largely amplified especially by the Western media.

The poignant image offered lessons, specifically to Kenya, a country where the public has embraced street protests to express outrage for everything from poor pay, deteriorating roads and insecurity to binge drinking. Scenes of disciplined protestors are rarely seen on our streets.

Kenyans are indeed a peculiar lot. When it comes to street demonstrations, they have proved there is no civility and that it is a no-holds-barred contest. The public have learnt that to shout loudest, you need huge rocks and tree branches to block public roads, stones to pelt any contrarian nearby and a loud voice to shout down your opponents.

Nothing illustrates this emerging trend that has gained currency across the country than what was witnessed in Narok recently. The level of violence and damage to public property was shocking. Images coming out of that protest that lasted days showed tear gas, innocent bystanders running for cover, and rocks and burning tyres laid out on the main highway.

Befuddled tourists heading to and from the Maasai Mara Game Reserve were caught up in the melee, which was clearly a puzzling departure from the entertainment of Maasai Morans leaping proudly into the air, to the enjoyment of tourists.

Very few of those foreign visitors understood what the brouhaha was about, but clearly they must have wondered like many; isn't there a more civil way to express your outrage without stepping on other people's civil liberties and killing the goose that lays the golden egg in the process?

Ironically, wananchi continue to modify this new mode of rage and are taking it to a new level in spite of the fact that it is counterproductive and fails to achieve the desired objectives besides harnessing unrest, economic and civil disruption.

What Kenyans have not been able to do since enacting a new Constitution in 2010 has been to strike a balance between protest and civility in public demonstrations. The image from Nigeria (where apparently everything is done in a big way) proved you can express yourself without blocking roads or pelting motorists.

Even better, we can upgrade our protests by developing well designed and artistic placards that are eye-catching.

Besides, local protest organisers can learn a few things from activist Boniface Mwangi about using some creativity to get your message across. For instance, Mr Mwangi has employed everything from pigs, coffins, red crosses and donkeys to express his sentiments about public spending and corruption in the country.

The reason he gets fair media coverage is that his protests are different, and send his message without causing damage to public property. Perhaps it is time the Government swung into action to bring some sanity to the way Kenyans protests while allowing a democratic space to continue thriving.

Police need to enforce the law, but without necessarily resorting to excessive force, including tear gas and bullets to disrupt protestors, irrespective of their age or grievances.