Human rights activists have demanded the immediate arrest of a Malindi politician for allegedly hiring goons to attack them during a public engagement in Kakoneni area of Malindi Sub County Thursday.
The activists on Friday asked Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja to arrest the politician and an aide for the attack on activists from various human rights organization, among them young women, who were carrying out a public awareness campaign in Kakoneni area Thursday.
Speaking to journalists in Malindi town Friday, the activists said the goons targeted a vehicle carrying female activists and even tried to drag them into some thickets with a view to molesting them sexually.
The activists, who were led by Mr. Hussein Khalid, the executive director of Africa Voice and Victor Kaudo of the Malindi Community Human Centre, said they would not relent in their resolve to educate the masses on their rights and expose wrongdoing among public officials, including politicians.
The called out the politician and area police officers and national government administrative officers, who they claimed, were unwilling to help them when they reported the matter to them.
The activists said they were attacked as they engaged members of the public on issues affecting them, including a shoddy job done on a building at Kakoneni Primary School that was constructed through funds from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
They claimed that the politician’s hirelings confronted the convenors of the meeting and demanded that they dismantle the tents they had put up, leading to a verbal and physical confrontation.
Other activists were attacked at the Kakoneni junction along the Malindi-Sala Gate Road by goons who allegedly tried to drug female activists into a nearby thicket. The activists were however saved by their driver’s quick action that saw him drive at high speed to Malindi town.
Mr. Kaudo said it was disheartening that the politician’s goons had targeted young innocent female and called for thorough investigations into the matter and the arrest of those who would be found culpable.
He said the activists would now be cowed into submitting to the whims of politicians and vowed to re-convene the abortive public engagement on a date he did not specify.
Mr. Khalid on his part condemned the attack on the activists and politicians who he said thought they own the country and that they have the power to allow or stop public meetings.
“Kenya is a free country. Everyone has the right to hold a meeting, to hold discussions and deliberate on matters affecting the people and the nation in general,” he said.
Their sentiments were echoed by Naila Abdalla and Yasa Musa, who said politicians should not think that because they had been elected, they had the right to do anything they want against critics.
Naila said the politician’s theatrics would not stop them from doing what is right for the populace, including exposing scandals, adding that the politician’s action was outdated.
Malindi Member of Parliament Amina Laura Mnyazi has since distanced herself from the alleged attack on the activists.
“I would like to categorically deny any involvement. Such actions are unacceptable and they should be condemned. I urge the affected parties to report to incident to the relevant authorities for investigations,” she said.
In a statement posted on social media, the MP also said she was aware of the shoddy work on the building at Kakoneni that was constructed through CDF, and that she had summoned the NG-CDF board and the contractor awarded the tender to provide explanations.
Ms Mnyazi said her role as Member of Parliament was just to oversight the work done by the NG-CDF board and that she was not responsible for the day to day running of the fund at the constituency level.
“I have also actively engaged with relevant national government authorities to seek further assistance in the matter,” she said.
