Stop pushing country to the edge and give dialogue a chance

Yet again, yesterday’s demonstrations against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials turned violent. Unfortunately, fears expressed by a cross section of Kenyans that the siege at the Anniversary Towers would turn bloody came true. When the sun set yesterday, three Kenyans died needless deaths.

The level of violence witnessed yesterday is worrying with three reportedly killed in Siaya and Kisumu and at least 30 suffering gunshot wounds. Perhaps as an indication of the protests’ contagion, the demonstrations spread to the country’s second biggest town, Mombasa. And even there, the police used teargas to disperse the demonstrators. The Speaker of the Mombasa County Assembly and an MCA were detained by the police.