Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has weighed in on the recent uproar following the shooting of a mask vendor in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Tuesday, June 17, calling for restraint and respect towards police officers.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Kaluma warned that Kenya risks descending into anarchy if citizens continue to provoke police officers, especially during protests. He emphasized that while the right to picket is protected under the Constitution, it must be exercised within the limits of the law.
“We need to begin reminding all Kenyans, and even foreigners in the country, that we can only enjoy those fundamental freedoms within the confines of the law,” Kaluma said. “Ultimately, we need a stable state.”
The legislator referred to several recent protest incidents, including one where a foreign national in Nakuru allegedly wielded a panga at armed police officers. Kaluma claimed the individual was a Ugandan and argued that such behavior would not be tolerated in his home country.
“He was lucky to be in a country where the Bill of Rights is rich,” Kaluma said, urging Kenyans to stop provoking police, who are often armed and under pressure.
He also cited another video of a female protester confronting and attempting to remove a police officer’s face mask, terming such actions dangerous and reckless.
Drawing a comparison with law enforcement in the United States, Kaluma referenced a U.S. officer’s warning to citizens: “You abuse our police officers, you will go to jail after you have passed through the hospital. You spit on our police officers, you will go to jail, but you will pass through the hospital because our beautiful dogs will bite you.”
Kaluma added, “You touch the body of our police officers, your relatives would be called to pick your remains from wherever they are.”
However, he clarified that he was not condoning police misconduct, but stressing the need for citizens to understand the limits of civil liberties.
“If the police officers avoid keeping law and order, there will be a problem,” Kaluma concluded. “That is not to say that police officers should misbehave. Indeed, those who go beyond the law should still be held accountable.”
