National Super Alliance (Nasa) officer in charge of campaigns has gone into hiding since Thursday’s order by the Acting interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i to ban demos.
Mr Norman Magaya is allegedly hiding after the CS ordered his arrest and prosecution last week, for destruction of property in the anti-IEBC demonstrations.
“If you see him tell him to report to police in Nairobi Area,” said one senior officer, after various raids in places where Mr Magaya frequents.
Mr Magaya had earlier notified the Nairobi County Police Commander of the intention to hold peaceful demonstrations in Nairobi.
He also noted that a group of people, fondly ‘Nairobi Business Community’ was participating in demonstration within the Nairobi CBD on the same days as NASA without issuing any notification to the police.
On Thursday last week, while addressing the media, Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i vowed to press charges against Nasa leadership after due assessment of the extend of damages caused by the demos.
“We will charge him after we have quantified the extent of the damage,” Dr Matiang’i said, after banning Nasa demonstrations in Nairobi, Mombasa and Mombasa central business districts.
Mr Magaya, while in hiding through his lawyer, Mr Apollo Mboya has hit at Dr Matiang’i with a warning him against instituting any charges against him.
“We demand that you respect the law. Stop the illegal pronouncements and intimidation of our client, ensure the police provide security to the peaceful demonstrators, apply the law equally with respect to the group styling itself as Nairobi Business Community and stop usurping the powers of the Director of Public Prosecution,” said Mboya in a letter addressed to Dr Matiang’i.
Meanwhile, Nasa is expected to continue with the protests Monday despite the announcement by Matiang’i.
The demos were banned in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu CBDs last week by the CS. Dr Matiang’i cited Section 5 of the Public Order Act in making the decision even as he insisted that his order does not curtail the right of Nasa supporters to demonstrate and picket.
He said the ban followed a National Security Advisory Committee meeting and that it was due to the clear and imminent danger, for the time being.