The Catholic Church in Kenya has strongly criticized the police action against the Lang'ata Road Primary School Pupils and called it unacceptable in the society.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday 20th, January and signed by the Vice Chairman of Commission for Education & Religious Education of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley stated that the Bishops conference strongly condemns over the excessive use of force, the use of teargas and display of guns and police dogs on pupils by the officers to disperse unarmed children who were protesting over the grabbing of their school playing field by a private developer.
The press statement is issued by the commission following an incidence that happened on Monday 19th January 2015, where Police tear-gassed a group of school children who were protesting the loss of their playground to a private land developer. Children wearing green school uniforms were seen scampering away from the clouds of gas, coughing and choking. At least three children were reportedly injured in the commotion.
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| Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley |
“The police were in no danger and had no reason whatsoever to resort to use of brutal force. This was a blatant violation of the Children’s Act 2010 which entitles children to protection against any form of physical and psychological abuse,” read part of the statement.
At the same time, KCCB faulted the teachers and activists who spearheaded the demonstrations saying they are concerned about the deliberate use of children by civil society activists and politicians in demonstrations, and subsequently, exposing children to danger.
“Lang’ata Road is a busy highway and the children could have been knocked down by speeding vehicles as they fled from the police. It is irresponsible for any adult to expose children to danger whatever the cause one may be agitating for,” read the statement.
Terming the incident regrettable that children have to resort to demonstrations out of desperation as the relevant government authorities did not take time to address issues affecting them, the Bishops Conference called on the government to move with immediate effect and get to the bottom of the matter. “Anybody found responsible for exposing the
children to danger must be held accountable and more action must be taken on all parties that participated in visiting brutality on children,” read the the statement.
According to the statement, the Bishops are concerned and are deeply disturbed by the increasing incidences of grabbing of public utility land by the so called ‘private developers’. “We demand that the government moves quickly to identify and bring to book these the so-called ‘private developers’ who are blatantly grabbing public school land and posing a threat to the education and welfare of the children,” read the statement.
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News Reporter
