 Secretary-General Cleophas Malala, says they are disappointed){kind=link}
Kenya Kwanza Alliance, through the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malala, says they are disappointed in a statement made by UN Human Rights Office on anti-government protests.
According to Malala, UN OHCHR was one-sided in their pronouncement over concerns of violence witnessed during the demonstrations.
He says the UN’s statement lacked a “genuine factual basis for its conclusions and was blind to the context within which the demonstrations took place”.
“…the Kenya Kwanza Coalition is disappointed that the statement by the UN OHCHR spokesperson failed to properly understand and contextualise the ongoing situation in Kenya,” he said in a written statement shared on the UDA social media pages.
Malala faulted the UN, claiming that the intergovernmental agency failed to hold the Opposition accountable for the role they played adding that the statement might be misinterpreted.
“The Coalition is also disappointed that the statement fails to condemn the opposition for resorting to violence after losing at the ballot box in a free and fair election; and thereafter losing an election petition before the Supreme Court. The UN OHCHR should be wary of being (mis)used by politicians for their own purposes,” he said.
In addition, he said that Azimio was using the protests as a means to serve selfish needs as opposed to showing concern for the Kenyan people.
“The opposition has latched onto the global dissatisfaction with the high cost of living and used it as pretext to call for protests, which in truth only serve selfish personal interests. Sadly, the violent attacks against our democracy have resulted in deaths, destruction property (including police stations and government buildings) and a disruption of commerce and our way of life.” he said.
Malala also came to the defence of the police and their conduct during the protests.
“The National Police Service and other security organs have exercised great restraint in the face of obvious provocation by well-organised and well-funded saboteurs trying to bait them into excessive responses. Our law enforcement heroes have not fallen to the bait even as several of their colleagues have lost lives and others suffered serious injuries at the hands of the opposition anarchists,” he noted.
The United Nations Human Rights Office had previously expressed worry over alleged use of force by police during demonstrations calling for investigations into deaths and injuries during the protests.
Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua has also called out the United Nations Human Rights Office saying that the statement was inaccurate and misleading.
Source: NTV Kenya