Edwin Sifuna has strongly responded to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen following claims that authorities were not informed about the Kitengela rally organised by leaders from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
The disagreement comes days after a rally held in Kitengela on Sunday, February 15, turned chaotic. Speaking during parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, February 19, Sifuna dismissed Murkomen’s claims that the police had not been notified about the event.
He said he has now taken extra steps to ensure that there is clear communication ahead of another planned rally in Kakamega this weekend.
According to Sifuna, he personally notified Murkomen about the upcoming Kakamega rally through WhatsApp.
He also shared the official notification in the Senate’s WhatsApp group, where Murkomen remains a member due to his former role as a senator.
Sifuna explained that by doing so, he wanted to prevent any future claims that the authorities were unaware of ODM’s political activities.
“Since Murkomen is still in the Senate WhatsApp group as a former senator, I shared the notice of the Kakamega rally both in the group and directly to his personal WhatsApp number.
He cannot later say he did not know about it, the way he claimed regarding the Kitengela rally,” Sifuna stated firmly.
Sifuna’s remarks were in direct response to comments made by Murkomen a day earlier. On Wednesday, February 18, Murkomen said the police had not received proper notification about the Kitengela rally.
He described the event as unfortunate and stressed that political leaders must inform security agencies in advance so that officers can provide adequate protection and maintain order.
“The recent rally in Kitengela was very unfortunate because the police were not formally notified. Leaders must inform authorities in advance so that security arrangements can be made,” Murkomen said while addressing the issue.
The Kitengela rally was disrupted shortly after it began when police officers lobbed teargas at supporters who had gathered to attend the event.
The chaos forced organisers to stop the rally abruptly. Videos and images from the scene showed crowds running for safety as smoke filled the air.
Murkomen further accused the organisers of deliberately holding the rally on a market day in order to attract a large crowd.
He also alleged that individuals described as “goons” had been transported from different areas to create confusion and unrest during the event.
However, Sifuna and other ODM leaders strongly denied those accusations. They insisted that they had organised a peaceful political gathering and accused the government and the police of being responsible for the violence that broke out.
According to the organisers, one supporter lost his life during the chaos, and several others were injured.
The dispute has once again drawn attention to the provisions of the Public Order Act, which regulates public gatherings in Kenya. Under the law, organisers of rallies and public meetings are required to notify the police in writing.
The notification must be delivered to the officer in charge of the area police station at least three days before the event, but not more than fourteen days in advance.
Legal experts have often clarified that the law requires notification, not permission. This means organisers are expected to inform the police so that security measures can be put in place, but the police are not supposed to use the requirement as a way to block lawful political gatherings.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, the Democratic Congress Party (DCP) on Thursday wrote to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
In the letter, the party formally notified him of their intention to visit his office on Friday, February 20.
The recent events highlight growing tensions between political leaders and security agencies over the handling of public rallies.
As the country prepares for more political activities in different regions, the debate over notification procedures and police response is likely to continue dominating public discussion.
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