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The Constitution lobby group whose rally was cancelled, leading to riots in Nairobi and Kisumu, now plan to hold another series of public meetings on Friday.
The group, Katiba Watch, said they will hold rallies in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret to inform the public about the Constitutional impasse and to try to find the best way forward.
The rally co-ordinator, Mr Leslie Mwachiro, denied claims that his group - made up of former delegates to the National Constitutional Conference - was behind a Saba Saba rally planned for tomorrow at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.
Mr Mwachiro said the group did not know who was planning that meeting, nor their agenda, in spite of earlier reports that the July 7 date was announced on Saturday by prominent Katiba Watch member Mr Martin Shikuku.
Mr Mwachiro said Katiba Watch would follow the law to the letter by notifying police chiefs of their plans.
The Uhuru Park rally - and that of a rival prayer meeting scheduled for Nairobi's Kamukunji Ground - was first licensed but later later banned when police said intelligence reports had warned that youths were being incited to disrupt the events.
In spite of the ban Katiba Watch announced their rally would go ahead - which led to the clashes with riot police stationed to block the event, while those behind the Kamukunji meeting, from the National Alliance (Party) of Kenya (NAK), said they would comply with the ban.
The Kamukunji rally had been organised by five Nairobi MPs, three of who are assistant ministers - Mr Maina Kamanda, Mrs Betty Tett and Mrs Beth Mugo. The MPs were Mr Norman Nyagah (Kamukunji, Narc) and Mr David Mwenje (Embakasi, Narc).
Mr Mwachiro of Katiba Watch was speaking yesterday after meeting the Nairobi provincial police officer, Mr Kingori Mwangi, in his office together with his members and 10 MPS to protest at the cancellation of their Uhuru Park meeting by police commissioner Hussein Ali, and deployment of armed riot police , backed by dogs and mounted police, to prevent them entering the park.
He said: "The PPO welcomed and treated us well during the meeting. He also assured us that the police will only arrest those who break the law and engage in looting. He told us we are as free as a bird to hold our meetings."
The co-ordinator said the PPO assured them the police would not interfere with them in their rallies so long as they respected the law.
Mr Mwangi refused to speak to the Press, commenting only that what the MPs and the Katiba Watch members had said was more than enough.
"They have already spoken to you, why do you need me?" said Mr Mwangi, a former police spokesman.
Police later denied having given a permit for the Nairobi rally, or even of having been notified of it.
He said: "The law governing public gatherings is very clear and those intending to hold such meetings should notify the regulating officer (the OCS) of such intent three days, but no more than 14 days, before the proposed meeting on a prescribed form".
Mr Ombati called on those intending to hold any meetings to abide by the law "in order to avoid any inconveniences".
Earlier Mr Mwachiro and Katiba Watch members had been escorted to see the PPO, Mr Mwangi, by nine MPs following reports that organisers of the Saturday rally were to be arrested.
The MPs were Kanu's Mr Nick Salat, Mr Charles Keter and Mr Samuel Moroto, and the Liberal Democratic Party's Mr Otieno Kajwang', Mr Peter Owidi, Mr Owino Likowa, Mr Reuben Ndolo, Mr Gor Sunguh and Mr Ayiecho Olweny.
Members of Katiba Watch at yesterday's talks were Mr Martin Shikuku, Mr Koitamet ole Kina, Mr Abdulrahman Wandati, Mr Churchill Suba, Mrs Rose Lukalo-Owino, and Mr Isaac Ruto.
They held an hour long private meeting with the PPO accompanied by their three lawyers, Mr Kauma Mussili, Mr James Ongeto and Mr Ojwang Agina.
Mr Shikuku said they had also discussed what he called "the unnecessary chaos" that brought business to a halt in the city centre as the police prevented demonstrators from entering Uhuru Park.
Mr Kina, who served as one of the co-chairmen of the review talks at Bomas of Kenya, said he had reminded the police the law was clear that once they had been notified of an impending meeting they should provide security for it.
"We told the PPO that we will notify the respective police bosses accordingly and will expect to be protected and not harassed as happened last Saturday," Mr Kina said.
Roads and Public Works minister, Raila Odinga, de facto leader of the LDP, said yesterday he was not aware of the new dates set for the rallies by Katiba Watch.
The minister, who with Environment minister Kalonzo Musyoka last week broke ranks with his other Cabinet colleagues last week to support the banned rally, promised to make a public statement today on the review impasse.
The Government's decision to ban the Saturday rally received mixed reactions with Health minister Charity Ngilu and her Local Government counterpart, Mr Muskari Kombo, taking divergent positions.
Mrs Ngilu said banning the rally and the violent dispersal of the demonstrators was a slap in the face for democracy since the organisers had a right to be heard.
Addressing mourners at the burial of Chamber of Commerce local branch chairman Jonathan Mwanzia in her Kitui Central constituency, Mrs Ngilu said: "We promised Kenyans change, and the police action had portrayed the Government in bad light, as all Kenyans have a right to be heard."
The Government had a duty to listen to the concerns and sentiments of its citizens as a show of respect to the electoral mandate.
Her comments, coming in the wake of other criticism of the Kibaki Government by the United States ambassador, contrasted with the stand of her colleagues in the NAK faction of Narc, who instead blamed the weekend chaos on the organisers.
The ambassador, Mr William Bellamy warned that the Government's credibility was at risk because of the way it was handling both the review and the fight against corruption.
She differed with both the Police Commissioner and her Cabinet colleagues, commenting: "These people should have been allowed to go ahead with their rally and express themselves to Kenyans and the Government."
Faulting the police, the minister said they were supposed to provide security to the organisers because the ban caused more chaos and looting.
Mr Kombo, the Ford Kenya chairman condemned the riots, saying his party supported dialogue.
"What happened in Nairobi on Saturday should never have happened. Unless the leaders check their selfish and unbridled desire for power, they could plunge the country into instability," he said.
Mr Kombo was speaking in Malava in Kakamega District during the burial of a former deputy Kakamega mayor, Joshua Mahagwa.
Elsewhere, Shinyalu MP Daniel Khamasi said a new Constitution could not be delivered in an atmosphere of acrimony and suspicion.
Cabinet minister Njenga Karume and Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi called on political and civil leaders to give talks a chance.
Archbishop Nzimbi asked the protagonists to have unity of purpose through dialogue, saying it was the best way out of the impasse.
Mr Karume, elevated to the Cabinet, last week as minister in the Office of the President in charge of Special Projects, said the Government was committed to ensuring a new Constitution "was realised as soon as is practically possible."
But former Cabinet minister Joseph Kamotho accused the Government of being worse than Kanu, saying it was introducing anarchy, adding, "and we will block it in Parliament when we resume on Tuesday."
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