Friday the 27th was the day that the presidential curfew directive was to be enforced. The curfew is one of the moves that the Kenyan Government is taking in order to help curb the spread of Coronavirus.
Many Kenyans found themselves on the wrong side of the law as they engaged in battles with the police. The streets were ugly scenes on the said evening with teargas, brutal whipping from police and cries from citizens.
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In Nairobi, several people who had failed to get home before curfew time were forced to spend hours in the cold as police officers forced them to get out of the vehicles they had boarded.
Some were beaten and teargas canisters thrown at them.
In Mombasa things were not any better. There was a huge crown waiting to board the ferry in order to get back home but as time ran out, the police did not spare them at all. People were whipped, slapped, kicked and tear gassed by the police.
Pregnant women and children were not spared as well.
After news of what was happening emerged, the Police spokesman, Charles Owino, blamed Kenyans for failing to heed to the president’s directive even after it was repeated over and over again.
It is regrettable that the officers had to use excessive force to bring order but we must find a balance here. Members of the public are also to blame in this scenario because they were aware of the curfew orders but chose to ignore and provoke the officers,
said Owino.
