Police were on Thursday forced to lob teargas canisters to disperse a group of activists dubbed Switch Off Kplc that had taken to the streets to protest against what they term as theft at Kenya Power.
The activists were cornered and confronted at Uhuru Park as they matched towards the Central Business District through Kenyatta Avenue.
[Photo/Courtesy]
From Nyayo House to City Hall they engaged the police in running battles with some taking refuge at shops along the streets.
Another scuffle was at the Supreme Court main gate where one of the group leaders Bradley Ouna was briefly arrested by plain clothes police officers then released after the intervention by central police station OCS .
https://twitter.com/AmkaKenya/status/1154314487857631232?s=19
‘’We must stop impunity even if you kill all of us , corrupt officials at Kenya power must leave… and we want the president of Kenya not to camp at treasury alone but to shift focus at KPLC where Kenyans have lost 35 million shillings .’’ Bradley said.
They also blamed the police for using excessive force on them yet they gave a notification that they will be demonstrating.
‘‘They have the notice I don’t know when police in this country will learn to follow the constitution that gives us the right to picket… one of us has been seriously injured as she was running for her safety,” a protester said.
At Supreme Court gate the plain clothes police officers at some moment brandished guns forcing protesters to sit down in fear.
According to Bradley they shall continue with the protests until Kenya Power gets a new management adding that the current officials are corrupt and are used by energy cartels to defraud the Kenyan government.
Meanwhile the acting managing director Kenya Power Jared Othieno yesterday confirmed that they have sacked 13 staff members involved in the ksh. 35 million tokens scam at the company.
