Young lawyers in Kisumu to educate on pros and cons of demonstration » Capital News

KISUMU, Kenya, Jul 15 – Young lawyers in the lakeside city of Kisumu have opted to help educate Gen Zs on the pros and cons of demonstrations in Kisumu.

Trevor Omondi, a member of the Kisumu Young Bar says the lakeside city has borne the brunt of demonstrations.

Omondi says the ongoing demonstrations by the Gen Zs should not be misconstrued to be a revolution.

“It may be civil disobedience but not a revolution and one which warrants the force of the police as witnessed in the recent past,” he said.

He says the demonstrations have been hijacked by goons, noting that engagements with the public are necessary to explain to the demonstrators what the law allows while demonstrating.

He says civil disobedience is protected by the Constitution but the goons who infiltrate the demonstrations have made nothing out of it.

“Young people are advocating for their rights and they should not allow goons to come in to erode their mission,” said Omondi.

Addressing a press conference in Kisumu on Monday at the foot of Kisumu Law Courts, Omondi wondered why demonstrators in Kisumu resorted to looting and destruction of property whenever a peaceful demonstration is staged.

He says the hijackers of peaceful demonstrators in Kisumu have left a trail of destruction and losses to the business community.

“They wreak havoc and cause injuries to innocent civilians and businesses,” he said.

Omondi called on the entire criminal justice system to join hands and ensure those genuinely demonstrating who get arrested enjoys their rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

“As the Young Bar of Kisumu, we add our voice to the call to the State to protect the rights under Article 37 and to ensure that there is no restraint to enjoyment of these rights so long as the same is done peaceably and the participants are unarmed,” he said.

However, he says, suspects of serious criminal activities such as burglary, robbery with violence, arson and incitement to violence should not be treated with kid gloves.

He called upon the citizens of Kenya who are exercising their rights to ensure that they at all times exercise and enjoy the said right within the limits and report any incidents of infiltration by those with intentions of causing harm to innocent people and businesses.

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