Police cancel two parallel meetings ahead of BBI fete

The police have cancelled permits for two parallel meetings connected to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report that were to be held on Saturday.

Initially, the police had allowed two opposing groups to carry out rallies on January 18, the same date a BBI meeting organised by five Western Kenya governors, led by Kakamega’s Wycliffe Oparanya, is set to take place at Bukhungu Stadium.

But it is now official that neither of the two meetings will go on due to security concerns.

Politicians aligned to ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula and Deputy President William Ruto had vowed to boycott the Bukhungu meeting and instead planned a parallel forum in Mumias to discuss economic revival in the region.

According to Mumias West Sub-county Police Commander Peter Kattam, anyone who attends the Mumias meetings will be charged with breaking the law.

"This is to notify you that this office has cancelled your permit to carry out the exercise purportedly scheduled to take place on 18/01/2020 at Nabongo Grounds starting 9am due to security reasons," read the police directive.

The police boss said he did not have enough manpower to oversee the Mumias meetings as the officers available would be deployed to cover the BBI meeting at Bukhungu Stadium.