and five years later, Egypt proves this point.

Secondly, police brutality and a lack of proper proportional response (as will be expected from every Western police, with exception for the UK, where police execute first, and ask questions later) are indeed plaguing the Kenyan Police. But that is due to atrocious working and living conditions of police officers first, and to totally insufficient equipment secondly.
The élite units (the GSU anti-riot squads) have modern equipment, full body armour – for which Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki recently mocked them as “mutant Ninja turtles” – and modern water cannons. The videos also demonstrate amply that these crack police troops – menacing as they look – are acting disciplined and restrained, have even helped wounded demonstrators. The real problem are under-trained and under-equipped simple AP constables, who only have greatcoats, steel helmets, and ridiculous small round shields. These, in fear of their lives, have resorted to revenge brutality and have fired more easily. They have fired with automatic rifles and FMJ bullets that can penetrate three slum shacks in a row and still kill two persons. Wrong, unsuited firearms and ammunition are the main reason for the casualties among innocents in Kisumu and n Nairobean slums. And it’s policians who must be blamed for that, not the poor police who can only use what they were (mis-)issued with.

Thirdly, as said befiore I have no that much problem if police open fire on armed attackers, though the chap in Kisumu did not have to die. But if you are participating in a mob that violently hurls stones at police and if you actively encourage such a mob and yourself taunt police and do a monkey dance, at least you shouldn’t wonder too much if a response flies your way.

The same is true for Kibera. If police were to gun down a blood-baying rabble that tries to destroy Kenya’s and Uganda’s transportation life line, my compassion will be very moderate. The real problem is the peaceful single mother in a tin shack 800 metres further away who was be killed by a police rifle bullet that went right through one of the hooligans, or was deflected from the soil.

Alexander

I have witnessed all sorts of riots especially the area where i operate from.Be it during the height of multipartism,hawkers,to name a few.All these were more violent during the presence of Riot police aka “ninjas” these days.

Then there was a span of time when the government allowed all sorts of protests,and i can tell you there was not a single incident of looting,vandalism.Why? there was not a single policeman in sight!!!

People are provoked by the mere presence of policemen.

But the signs of that happening are not good…

A woman being robbed as she alighted from a matatu; surely you cant blame that on a stolen election..?

There has got to be a better way to do this.

Why aren’t our MPs cutting themselves up with Machettes in parliament if they feel so strongly about their cause..?

Why didn’t ODM call their rally on Tuesday instead of going to parliament to guarantee their pensions for life…?

Did we not see the two sides conceding defeat or celebrate victory when the other side won or lost. When in doubt, they rose points of ORDER, which were deliberated amicably; even when some attempted to flout laid House procedures, they were firmly (but without violence) corrected through the said points of ORDER. They sat until 1.30 am , to ensure that all that needed discussion received the time it deserved. etc etc

The politicians – all sides – do not have our interests at heart. We cant wait for them to do something.

We have got to lead our leaders.

REFUSE TO BE USED TO PROPAGATE VIOLENCE !

I used to rile against African pessimists and now find myself a card carrying member of the club.

There is truth in what you say. But do you genuinely believe the police have given peaceful protest even the slightest chance? They are reacting with an extremely heavy hand everywhere. It is quite possible to allow peaceful demonstrations BUT arrest transgressors immediately if things turn ugly. At the moment we are given no chance to know whether the intention was peaceful or not.

There is great danger in this. If you don’t allow anger to express itself openly and in a constructive manner, then it gets suppressed and bottled up. Worse still, it goes underground.

Some of the inexplicable violence we have seen is clearly the anger of decades ago that has re-emerged, stronger and uglier than ever.