355 people arrested as Murkomen hails peaceful anniversary protests

Police in Nakuru City arrest some of the youths taking part in the June 25 anniversary demonstrations. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has hailed Thursday's demonstrations as an encouraging sign, saying the protests were largely peaceful and reflected growing political maturity in the country.

In a press briefing, Murkomen noted that no widespread incidents of looting, vandalism, skirmishes, or injuries had been reported.

According to the CS, business activity continued largely as usual in most towns across the country. Families, friends of victims of past protests and members of the public also held peaceful processions in Nairobi and Mombasa.

"This is not only commendable but also a testament to the maturity of our politics and governance," he said.

"Today is proof that when demonstrations are conducted in accordance with the provisions of our Constitution, peace and security are guaranteed. This is the political culture we should encourage and promote as a country," he added.

However, despite the relative calm, police arrested 355 people in connection with the demonstrations over various offences, including robbery, vandalism, road obstruction and attempted theft.

Nairobi County recorded the highest number of arrests at 161, followed by Kajiado with 123 and Kiambu with 36. Other arrests were reported in Murang'a (12), Bungoma (9), Meru (6), Laikipia (5) and Machakos (3). No arrests were reported in the North Eastern, Nyanza and Coast regions.

Business and transport activities were also disrupted, particularly in the morning, following security screening at major entry points into Nairobi's CBD.

According to Murkomen, security agencies had acted on intelligence reports indicating that individuals had allegedly been mobilised to disrupt peace in Nairobi, prompting heightened security screening on major highways leading into the city.

The measures resulted in heavy security presence and movement checks in parts of Nairobi and its surrounding areas as authorities sought to prevent potential breaches.

"We regret the inconveniences occasioned by these measures, and at the same time appreciate their effectiveness in securing the city and other parts of the country," he said.