Civil societies protest ‘50 years of shame’

By Philip Mwakio

Mombasa county: Civil society groups in Mombasa County defied police orders and marched into the historic Tononoka grounds to protest human rights abuses and landlessness in the coast region.

Under the umbrella of Coast Human Rights Network, the groups want the Government to solve issues to do with land. They protested the commemoration of the 50th Jamhuri Day celebrations.

On Tuesday, police had outlawed the civil society rally when the groups sought for permission to stage the demo. Led by Genesis for Human Rights Commission Programme Officer Caleb Ngwena, the groups stood their ground and refused to leave the premises after police confronted them and ordered them to leave.

Spotting black armbands, the activists maintained that there was nothing to celebrate about and branded the Jubilee event as 50 years of shame.

“Kenya must not live a lie. We must not live in perpetual state of denial. Things are not rosy and have never been rosy as the power and economic elite in the country would want everyone to believe. The other side of the Kenyan story must also be told as inconvenient and unpleasant as it might be,’’ Mr Ngwena said.