Two MCAs and several protesters were injured during the anti-Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) demonstrations in Kisumu.
The demos that took place on Monday took about three hours.
Business activities were paralyzed in the CBD as police and the protesters engaged in running battles.
Manyatta B MCA Nereah Okombo, her nominated colleague Pamela Odhiambo and the Kisumu Central ODM Treasurer Edward Ogola found themselves on the receiving end of the Monday protests as they sustained injuries in the commotion.
The said MCAs were allegedly beaten by police officers using clubs and were rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu. Among the critically injured were three protesters who were rushed to Kisumu District Hospital.
The protesters started their match in Kondele at about 10am and slowly marched through the Central Business District to the IEBC offices in Millimani where they staged a sitting before they were dispersed by Administration Polices’ Quick Response Team (QRT).
The police shot live bullets in the air to disperse the protesters, but the officers were keen to collect the cartridges. However, no protester suffered any injury from he live bullets fired.
Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir who joined in the demonstrations said Cord will not relent in their efforts to push through with the electoral reforms ahead of next years’ general elections.
“The starting point to electoral reforms in this country is the removal of IEBC commissioners who have been accused of corruption. We cannot trust our votes with an electoral body whose integrity is questionable,” he said.
Mr Shakeel accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of applying double standards in handling of the IEBC question yet he sacked cabinet secretaries for their alleged involvement in corruption.
Nominated MCA representing the youth Lydia Achieng Odhiambo accused the police of using excessive force yet the protesters had a peaceful demonstration.
“It is disheartening that the police went ahead and flushed wananchi out of recreational centres such as Jomo Kenyatta Sports grounds and the parks adjacent to the District Commissioners’ office. As a woman leader I am not happy in the manner in which some female MCAs were roughed up by the police,” said Ms Odhiambo.
The Director of Okoa Kenya in Kisumu County Austine Omondi alias Makamu who also condemned the actions of the police despite the strike notice issued prior to the demonstrations.
“Our people were demonstrating peacefully but the police were even armed with pistols and using them directly to people who are harmless. The police should use the same force they are applying on us to protect the borders of this country,” said Mr Makamu.
He said Cord will only dialogue with the government only when the IEBC commissioners vacates the office.
“We are not perturbed by the use of teargas on us but we want to tell the government that we are exercising our rights. As the electorates in this country we want to be assured that our votes will not be wasted. We want a neutral body to oversee the elections in this country,” he said.