Senator Johnstone Muthama has faulted a recent incident in which dozens of police officers were deployed in Tala Matungulu sub-county ostensibly to deter locals from demonstrating against high taxes being levied by the Machakos County Government.
Speaking on Sunday at St Joseph Katheka catholic church Muthama said that the presence of the police in the market is causing anxiety among the traders who are finding it hard to go on with their businesses.
He said that the over 500 policemen from other parts of the county should be used in important things like fighting illicit brew dens in the sub-county where area chiefs have failed.
Muthama termed the action as misuse of police by leaders for their own selfish interests.
"Demonstration is a right to every citizen whenever their grievances are not heard, so long as its peaceful the police should not be involved," reckoned Muthama.
He said that the leaders concerned should solve the grievances of the demonstrators instead of fighting them.
This comes a week after bodaboda operators from Tala market demonstrated closing Nairobi- Kangundo road decrying harassment by county Askari's where the scene turned ugly after armed policemen arrived and threw teargas at them as well as arresting a few of them.