Kenyatta criticizes police for tear-gassing children

Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday (20.01.2015), President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his anger and sadness at the police action that caused several schoolchildren to faint after inhaling tear gas. Most of the children were aged between five and fourteen. Some activists present at the protest were arrested.

Kenyatta said the manner in which the police had acted was "despicable" and vowed that "action will be taken against the officers responsible."

The president, who was clearly furious, blamed officials at the Land Commission for not reacting early enough to prevent the situation from escalating.

"We have been reading and hearing about this since December of last year. Why did they not take the necessary action? They are the ones who should have taken the necessary action," Kenyatta said.

Illegal landgrab?

The row erupted after a playground at Langata Primary School was confiscated and a fence erected around it by an unidentified land developer. This caused anger among pupils, parents and activists who regard the action as illegal land grabbing. There are believed to be plans to turn the space into a car park.

But newly-appointed Interior Minister Joseph Nkaisery blamed unnamed politicians for the episode that occurred at the school on the outskirts of Nairobi.

"We believe this is politically instigated because the normal legal approach should have taken its course. I think the politicians incited the activists," Nkaisery said.

Nationwide debate

The tear-gassing of the Langata schoolchildren prompted numerous reactions from around the country. Many Kenyans used social media to vent their anger. Some accused the protest organizers of using schoolchildren to gain more attention, while others supported the children's attempt to fight for their rights. There was widespread condemnation of the police for resorting to tear gas.

Comments poured in to the newly created Twitter hashtag #OccupyPlayGround.

"You know in Kenya, by this time police should at least be giving the students an opportunity to say whatever they have in mind and do whatever they know is their right. What happened is not good," a Nairobi resident told DW.

In an interview with DW, Gachihi Gacheke, a social justice activist in Nairobi, said this was not the first time police had used excessive force against human rights activists. He said members of his group who took part in the protest have been in touch with the Kenyan Law Society. "They will take action on police officers who misused their powers to use teargas and who attacked the kids who were demonstrating and caused the illegal detention of human rights defenders," Gacheke said.

The officer in charge of the operation has been suspended.