Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has come out to blast the killing of unarmed protesters in Kenya by security forces.
He recently described the murder of innocent protesters as barbaric and unacceptable.
Speaking via a press statement, Timi Frank urged President Williams Ruto of Kenya to immediately call the security agencies to order to prevent further loss of lives.
Recall that the Kenyan police had fired to disperse demonstrators in Nairobi who were marking the 35th anniversary of pro-democracy rallies on Monday, and police have announced that 11 people were killed and about 567 were arrested in the latest anti-government protests to end in bloodshed.
The demonstrations mark the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba – meaning “seven-seven” – protests of 7 July 1990, which launched Kenya’s push for multi-party democracy.
After Albert Ojwang’s death in police custody last month, the protests increased, and more anger was directed towards the authorities as several aggrieved citizens took to the streets.
Reacting, Timi Frank advocated for the instant release of all detained protesters by the Kenyan Police, while commiserating with families who have loved ones in the protest.
“It is time to stop these avoidable murders.
They would be remembered as those who died fighting for a better future for their country,” he said.
He urged President Williams Ruto, his friend, to remember that the same peaceful and unarmed protesters who are now being murdered and imprisoned for advocating for good governance, cast their votes in his favour despite intense intimidation and harassment.
Timi insisted that the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters is a clear breach of international law, especially the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Alongside his call for immediate sanctions against Ruto and his government, he maintained that a travel ban must be placed on the policemen who shot at protesters with live ammunition.
Comrade Frank further appealed to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump and the United Nations to intervene and call Ruto to order over his dictatorial actions.
“The right thing to do is not to kill them but to dialogue with them. This is democracy. You were elected and these were the people who believed in you and voted for you and it is their constitutional right to protest if they are dissatisfied with your administration.
This nonsense in Africa has to stop where African leaders will be killing peaceful protesters unnecessarily. But when they need the vote of the people, they will dance with them and make all kinds of promises.
It is wrong to kill protesters. Instead of killing them, it is the duty of government to protect them. We saw recently when there was protest against Trump. They did not deploy the National Guard to kill the protesters but rather to protect them and that is what democracy is all about.
This is a time for Trump to speak out for those young Africans being killed for demanding good governance and to see to it that they get justice,” Frank said.
Timi, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, declared that the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors must do everything within their power to investigate and punish Ruto and his security chiefs for the ongoing killing of unarmed citizens.
He concluded by blasting the leadership of the African Union for failing to speak up in the face of a serious crime being perpetrated against innocent African youths.
“African heads of state and governments only speak when a coup takes place and one of their own is affected and that is the only time they are relevant. This is most unfortunate,” he added.
