In a move that redefines administrative gaslighting in Kenya’s political arena, the National Police Service has officially disowned any knowledge of recent rallies linked to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. Despite the high-visibility chaos and heavy security presence witnessed at these events, authorities now claim they never received the mandatory formal notices required under the Public Order Act.
This is not merely a dispute over paperwork; it is the weaponization of the “missing file.” By claiming they were never notified, the police have effectively stripped these political gatherings of their legal protection, categorizing them as “spontaneous illegalities.”
The twisted irony is palpable: while the state claims to have been in the dark, the rapid deployment of anti-riot units suggests a level of preparedness that contradicts the “we didn’t know” narrative.
This procedural sabotage marks a terrifying shift in how the state intends to handle the 2027 political buildup. By maintaining “plausible deniability” regarding the receipt of notices, the security apparatus can now justify non-intervention during violence or, conversely, use the lack of notice to forcefully disperse crowds. It creates a “Catch-22” for the opposition—if they notify the police and the notice is “lost,” the rally is illegal; if they don’t, it’s a crime.
The urgency of this denial highlights a deepening rift in the capital’s security management. Senator Sifuna, a vocal critic of the current administration, now finds himself in a legislative shadowboxing match where the rules of engagement are being rewritten by the very people tasked with enforcing them.
If the police can “unsee” a rally attended by thousands, then no political assembly in Kenya is safe from retroactive criminalization. The message to the opposition is clear: the paper trail to the 2027 ballot is being intentionally shredded before it even begins.
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