Former Nigerian Ambassador Joe Keshi has called for the resignation of the Chief of Police in Kenya over the loss of protesters’ lives in the week-long protest in the country over the finance bill, News About Nigeria reports.
Keshi stated this while speaking in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday.
He noted that the resignation is important if the leadership of the police wants to help the president and the country.
Keshi stated that the police in this part of the world have not learned how to manage demonstrations, as their first reaction is to match force with force.
According to him, no matter what has happened, they will repeat it, and he added that they have never cared.
He lamented the fact that the police’s first obligation is to protect the people in power, rather than the masses.
“If the leadership of the police wants to help the president and the country, then the police chief in Kenya should honourably resign because of the loss of lives.
“Police in this part of the world have not learned how to manage demonstrations. Their first reaction is to match force with force. No matter what has happened, they will repeat it. They have never cared. The police’s first obligation is to protect the people in power.
“A point we have to learn throughout the continent of Africa is we need to convince the police and the military on how to manage crises like this.
“This is not the first country where you have people killed because they are demonstrating in support of their rights. It’s a democracy and they have the right.
“There are better ways they can handle the situation rather than just opening fire and killing people. The guns they are using were purchased by the people,” he stated.
Recall that the Kenyan Police fired tear gas at crowds of young protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday, as demonstrators rallied across the country against the government’s proposed tax increases.
The demonstrations, led mainly by Generation Z, which began last week, took President William Ruto’s government by surprise, and he said over the weekend that he was ready to talk to the protesters, according to AFP reporters.
