Ex-CJ Mutunga, activists teargassed at Central Police station

Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga (second right), with human rights defenders at Central Police Station in Nairobi on Saturday, July 8, 2023. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Police hurled teargas at human rights activists, who included former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, and Boniface Mwangi at Central Police Station in Nairobi where they had gone to complain over the arrest of protesters during Saba Saba demos on Friday.

The activists drawn from the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Haki Kenya, and Kenya Bora Tutakayo were teargassed while inside the station.

The activists termed the arrest of the protesters as a transgression of the Constitution by the police.

The group later met Central Police Station OCS Moses Mutayi who promised to release the protesters.

KHRC advocate Suyinka Lempaa said they are seeking to procure the release of other remanded protesters. He said they will take legal action if the police declined to release them unconditionally.

However, activist Mwangi, on Twitter, claimed that it was the same OCS that ordered police to teargas them.

"Police have decided to teargas their workplace, and beat some of us. This criminal act was ordered by OCS Central Police Station. Imagine brutalising and teargassing peaceful citizens at a police station," said Mwangi.

Though the activists said their meeting with OCS Mutahi bore fruits as 26 protesters were released.

The organizations are now demanding the unconditional release of the 75 and are willing to procure their release if taken to court on Monday.