Charles Owino, former Police Spokesperson has defended the State on charging protesters with terrorism related offenses. Photo: NPS.
Former Police Spokesperson Charles Owino has defended the State against charging protesters with terror related offenses following June 25 anniversary protests and July 7 Saba Saba commemoration protests.
Speaking during an interview on Wednesday on Citizen TV, Owino said that he does not think the State is using the Terrorism Act to intimidate protesters.
“I am sure the charges were drafted by the police. Prosecutors have a right to look at the elements of the offence to decide if they meet the charge per their prosecution standards. If not, they have a right to drop them,” he stated.
His remarks coming after embattled activist Boniface Mwangi was charged for facilitating terror activities in the June 25 by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) after his dramatic arrest on Saturday at his Lukenya home in Machakos County.
According to Owino the recent protests and unrest in the country should be critically analyzed, as he links the unrest to political elements and motives. He said that the trend in the unrest is unusual, as the areas previously known for protests remained calm, while others witnessed massive chaos and mayhem.
“We are used to seeing riots in places like Kisumu, Migori, and Kibera, but this time, they did not come out. It is strange to see riots in places we did not expect, like central Kenya. You can tell there are political elements in these things and people who are hiding behind demonstrations for their political interests,” he explained.
The charges have been wildly criticized as misuse of the Terrorism Act, with LSK President Faith Odhiambo said that the protests charges do not amount to terror charges, unless if it is discovered that it was planned to happen in wide sections.
While acknowledging the circumstances fueling protests among youths like unemployment, increase in police brutality and abductions, Owino warned against resorting to violence as a form making a point. He encouraged the need to carry out civic education to promote peaceful ways of expressing grievances.
“There are issues like unemployment, but we need to have a discussion as a country on whether we want our youth to solve issues through violence or dialogue. Two wrongs don’t make a right; if we probably have rogue policemen, let us not have a rogue society,” Owino cautioned.
Over 30 protestors still remain detained in police custody charged with terrorism related activities, with the court releasing them on a cash bail of KSh 50,000 or a bond of KSh 200,000, which a majority failed to raise. On Monday Kahawa Law Courts dropped the terrorism charges against Mwangi and released on a cash bail of KSh 1 million.
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