Police Unveil Strategic Azimio Protest Crackdown
The opposition coalition Azimio La Umoja has called for a three-day protest against the government, and senior police officials have held several high-level meetings in preparation.
Due to the sensitivity of the situation, a police commandant who spoke to GossipA2Z on the condition of anonymity disclosed that law enforcement officers will initially be deployed to hotspots and areas where violent protests occurred during the previous round of demonstrations.
According to the source, there are concerns that protestors may gain momentum outside of the city and march into the central business district, overpowering police.
The police have identified key locations where they will place roadblocks to halt any advancing protesters who may attempt to assault the central business district.
“It is not an alien concept. “In policing, choke points (areas to set up roadblocks) can be any geographical land mass, bridge, roundabout, or crossing path that officers can use to cut off an advancing threat,” the source explained.
For the security agencies to respond to the threats, the commanders have devised a multilayered strategy that includes the installation of anti-riot posts at key choke points, Quick Reaction Teams, and Standby Special Units.
Structure of Police Units
The Anti-riot Police Squad will consist of a platoon led by a commander, two gunners, and twenty officers who will employ a variety of strategies and instruments to disperse the protest.
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Police officers have been instructed not to use live ammunition, which has been blamed for the fatalities that occurred during last week’s demonstration.
Already, the United Nations and foreign embassies have urged the police not to respond to the demonstrations with excessive force.
Rapid Response Teams (RRTs)
As was the case in Mlolongo and Kitengela last week, the police have established rapid response units that will be on standby and deployed whenever police officers on the frontline are overpowered.
Officers and specialized personnel, such as SWAT members or technicians, will comprise QRTs.
The QRTs are anticipated to carry an assortment of weapons and equipment, including assault rifles, handguns, body armor, headgear, and vision devices.
On Wednesday, July 12, Quick Response Teams were accused of participating in an operation that resulted in the deaths of multiple individuals in the villages of Kitenge and Mlolongo.
A fleet of unmarked Subaru automobiles was observed unloading specialized officers who immediately began shooting demonstrators vandalizing the Nairobi Expressway.
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Reserve Specialized Unit
The third stratum of the anti-riot operation will consist of Standby Specialised Officers who will be dispatched to neutralize threats, particularly in Nairobi, if the nationwide mass action becomes violent.
Escalation Danger
According to the source, the meeting also highlighted the obstacles they faced in preparing for the demonstrations, such as a lack of adequate apparatus and officer fatigue.
Police leaders have expressed concern about the potential for violence and discussed how to ensure that the protests are managed in a manner that prevents demonstrators from entering the Central Business District (CBD) of Nairobi.
Police Unveil Strategic Azimio Protest Crackdown
