A police officer confronting a protester. [Photo/businessdailyinsider]
The violent scenes witnessed during the reception of NASA leader Raila Odinga on Friday hangs in the album of our national history, constantly reminding us of the beastly side of our lives as Kenyans.
As a nation, we should all bow in shame at what we have done to the image of our once Island of peace in our region.
I feel that such scenes would have been averted if we exercised restraint as a nation, particularly those charged with directing the security forces.
I must hasten here to add that NASA supporters can be notoriously provocative in their antics and melodrama as they exercise their democratic right of assembly. At times, they may invite the wrath of our officers in uniform through their insolence.
Yet I feel that the police officers should exercise extreme patience even in moments of extreme provocation by the professional demonstrators.
The faster we learn that demonstrations ventilate welled up emotions, the better we become as a nation. Demonstrations are here to stay. The police officers must learn to live with this fact.
That is why our police officers should be trained to exercise restraint and focus on allowing free flow of demonstrators who wish to ventilate their anger.
Images of Police Officers throwing back stones at protesters are not cool.
A police officer should use tear gas or other tools of the trade.
Stones have never been a tool of the trade for the police officers.
On the other hand, our demonstrators should exercise civility to enjoy their freedom as enshrined in our constitution.
Hooliganism and wanton destruction of property should not be condoned.
The police officers must always target criminal elements within the processions and weed them out from the generally peaceful demonstrators.
We must always strike a balance to avoid the horrid scenes of destruction every time we have a procession.