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Police Break Up LDP Rally in Meru

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
NEWS
April 16, 2004
Posted to the web April 16, 2004

By Standard Correspondent
Nairobi
Armed police yesterday violently dispersed a Liberal Democratic Party meeting
in Justice minister Kiraitu Murungi's Imenti South constituency.
Police stormed the meeting at a local hotel and ordered participants in a
seminar to clear from the place in 10 minutes.
And even when the delegates were later allowed to have lunch at the hotel, the
police banned them from discussing politics.
In scenes reminiscent of the Kanu days, police told the participants they had
orders from above to stop their meeting and that they had been sent by the Meru
Central District Commissioner.
LDP leaders immediately accused Kiraitu of ordering the action by the police.
But the Nkubu Police chief, Inspector Riungu Mugambi, said he had been ordered
by the DC and his superiors to stop the meeting. "This meeting has been called
off! I have strict instructions from the District Commissioner and the Officer
Commanding Police Division to move you out of this place. Now, everybody get
out!" Mugambi told the shocked and panicked delegates.
Earlier, Inspector Francis Musyoka and an Assistant Chief had warned that a
group of thugs was preparing to raid the hotel to unleash terror.
Kiraitu's aide, Mr Elias Mutwiri, said the meeting was cancelled because the
convenors had neither secured a permit nor area MP's blessings.
Mutwiri doubles up as the local Narc Executive Officer and arrived at the scene
in the company of the police officers.
A contingent of armed security officers stormed the conference hall at around
noon and directed the convenors, lawyer Kirimi Mbogo and Mrs Mumbi Ngaru, to
call off the meeting and "get out in 10 minutes".
Although the convenors had said LDP secretary-general Joseph Kamotho would be
in attendance, Kamotho said he was not privy to the planning for the meeting.
The meeting had been convened to kick off the LDP membership recruitment drive.

   

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