“We have decided to localize the processions to the grassroots community so that we can sensitize the people at the grassroots especially women and youth about how the WTO policies affects peasant food producers and consumers in their locality” said Zainab Okumu the Secretary General of the our Kangemi Cluster outside Kabete Police Station where she had gone to notify the local police at Kabete over the planned peaceful procession at Kangemi. “The OCS Kabete has declined to stamp the notification for approval stating that the procession shall cover two jurisdictions including Kabete where the march will begin and Kangemi where the march will end but has stated that he shall contact the OCS Kangemi police station and has promised to provide two police officers to offer security during the march” added Zainab Okumu.

Raphael the KPL Communication Person for our Apuoyo Cluster on his part stated that members of Apuoyo Cluster will join the rest of KPL Clusters and Peasants globally in marching peacefully against WTO and that the procession shall begin at Apuoyo market and end at Akala market. He added that the local police have promised to send three police officers to offer security during the procession.

In Nyamagagana Cluster, Meshack Gentanyi the Communication person indicated that the local police at Masaba Police Station had okayed the procession and asked the KPL members to maintain security and peace during the procession. The same was with Rabolo Cluster where according to our local Communication Person, the local police at Ranen Police Station okayed the procession and promised to send three police officers during the procession.

However, police at Muungano Police Station in Utawala have rejected the notification stating that Utawala was an estate and had a very busy road that risks being blocked during the procession and that other members of public could take advantage to damage people’s property. KPL through the local Cluster Secretary, Samwel Chabari has demanded that the local OCS respond to KPL in writing as required under section five of the Public Order Act.

Speaking to this reporter, the KPL National Coordinator, Cidi Otieno stated that although the article 37 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 guaranteed all Kenyans right to take part in peaceful processions, KPL had to notify the local police in line with the “Section 5 of the Public Order Management Act that requires organizers of processions to notify the local police authorities at least three days before the procession and maximum of two weeks before” added Cidi.

In the Police Notification Letter, KPL stated that the movement was planning the Peaceful Processions to Raise the Awareness of members of the Community on how the World Trade Organizations (WTO) Policies Affected the Local Peasant Farmers and requested for police security between 8am and 2pm when the activities shall end. “We are happy that a majority of the Police Notifications for the Peaceful Processions had been approved setting the stage for the processions where we expect to mobilize at least 1000 members of the community to take part” said Steven, the Communication Person for our Komasincha Cluster which was the first Cluster to secure police approval.

The Peaceful Processions are part of several activities that KPL had organized as part of Week of Mobilization Against the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference of WTO (WTO MC13) taking place in Doha, Qatar that includes daily online actions from 26 February to 29 February 2024 and a Webinar on WTO, Microcredit and New Debt Crisis to take place tomorrow the 27 February 2024 from 3pm to 5pm East African Time.

KPL Communication Team