Defenders Coalition welcomes the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions not to prefer charges against 74 peaceful protestors who were arrested on Friday 7 July 2023 while commemorating the SabaSaba Day, a day marked for citizen action against dictatorship.

This progressive decision rubbishes an attempt by the certain officers within the National Police Service to criminalize the right to Protest. The decision by the DPP affirms our concerns that certain police officers are deliberately involved actions towards the criminalization of constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms.

Defenders Coalition calls on the Independent Policing and Oversignt Authority to investigate and hold accountable all police officers that injured peaceful protestors including the individual prosecution of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Central police Station – Mr. Moses Mutayi – for illegally detaining the peaceful protestors for 3 days without access to medical care and denial for bail and bond.

We also call on the prosecution of police officers who attacked the former Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga on 8 July 2023 while he made a humanitarian visit to the arrested human rights defenders at Central Police Station.