CORD wants officer who used live bullets be reprimanded

Nairobi, Kenya: Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has demanded action against police officers who used live bullets to disperse protestors in Narok, leading the death of two people.

Cord argued that the tendency by the Jubilee regime to refuse to provide leadership in situations of conflict and resort to violence was worrying.

Cord, in a statement read by Ford Kenya Secretary General Eseli Simiyu said that action must be taken against those officers who used live bullets in dispersing peaceful demonstrators during the Monday skirmishes.

"We take great exception to the violence witnessed in Narok County in the Monday peaceful demonstration. We are demanding that action must be taken against those who authorised the use of live bullets against innocent Kenyans, whose only fault was to demand for accountability from their elected leaders," said Eseli.

The Cord brigades said the right to picket and to protest is protected by the Constitution and that the problem in Narok is political and needs a political solution, not the authoritarianism currently being witnessed.

The opposition coalition accused the Jubilee administration of solving political solutions with full brunt of Police force that lead to loss of lives and injuries.

"Brute force is inconsistent with the demand placed on us as a nation for a reformed and people-friendly police service. Kenyans demand and deserve higher standards. The Jubilee regime has refused to provide leadership in situations of conflict and resort to violence as a solution," read part of Cord statement.

On land disputes, the coalition now demands that the Jubilee government must reign in land grabbers within its ranks and save Kenya's school playgrounds and road reserves.

"Land grabbers of the past have the feeling that their partners are in Government and they must make up for lost time. They have re-grabbed what had been reclaimed. We demand that Jubilee reins in land grabbers within its ranks and save public land," read part of the Cord's statement.

The Coalition also dismissed a cross-section of media reports that the party's nomination exercise in Kajiado Central was marred by irregularities.

Cord defended the leadership of the party and the National Elections Board (NEB) for conducting a free, fair and credible nomination to pick the party's flag bearer for the March 16 mini poll.

Eseli said that contrary to the opponents that the process was going to be marred by violence, it turned out to be peaceful and showed that the party was committed to democracy.

"We commend the Joint CORD Elections Board for the successful and peaceful nomination exercise in Kajiado and have resolved to fully rally behind our candidates in Kajiado and Homa Bay. We call on our supporters and candidates to conduct their campaigns with decorum. We promise to deliver these seats," said Simiyu.