Police firing tear gas to disperse a rally led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna in Kitengela on Sunday has reignited debate over civil liberties and state power, with media personality Willis Raburu warning that democratic space must accommodate dissent.
The rally, part of the opposition-aligned Linda Mwananchi mobilisation tour, drew a large crowd of residents, boda boda riders and supporters.
Anti-riot police lobbed tear gas canisters moments after leaders began addressing the gathering, sending people scrambling for safety as thick smoke engulfed the venue. To Continue Reading, ...Click Here
Videos circulating online showed chaotic scenes, with traders abandoning stalls and motorists slowing along sections of the Nairobi–Namanga road as panic spread. Witnesses said the meeting came to an abrupt halt as the choking fumes made it impossible to continue.
The immediate trigger for the police action remained unclear by Sunday evening. Security had been deployed heavily in anticipation of the rally, and tensions were reportedly high before the confrontation.
Sifuna accused authorities of intimidation and alleged earlier interference, including disruption of the stage and sound equipment.
He urged supporters to remain calm and insisted the movement would continue its grassroots engagements.
Raburu weighed in on the incident via X, framing it as a constitutional question rather than a partisan dispute.
“In practice, the right to assemble often becomes the most visible site of contestation between citizens and the State. Governments instinctively prioritize order, citizens instinctively defend liberty. The Constitution demands that these instincts coexist within a framework of legality and proportionality. In short, in a democracy Kitengela and Tononoka Grounds should all be allowed to exist.”
His remarks reference long-standing tensions between public order enforcement and the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
The disruption comes amid heightened political mobilisation and renewed friction within opposition ranks, with leaders using public rallies to consolidate grassroots support ahead of future electoral contests.