THE Regional Police Commander for Kinondoni special police zone in Dar es Salaam region ACP, Charles Kenyela on Saturday last week managed to stop a planned peaceful demonstration which was earlier organized by members of the opposition Chadema party in Dar es Salaam city. The demonstrations were coordinated by the party’s publicity secretary and the current Member of Parliament for Ubungo constituency John Mnyika, were scheduled to start from Manzese Darajani area all the way along Morogoro Road up to the headquarter premises of the ministry of Water located at Ubungo near daladala bust stand in a distance that covers 1 and a half kilometers. The legislator earlier planned to stage a peaceful demonstration with a view to send the message to the Minister for Water Prof. Jumanne Maghembe to react in relation to the long unsolved perennial water problem which currently has seriously affected most suburbs in the city of Dar es Salaam. ACP Kenyela managed to suppress the opposition supporters’ movements who later on had refrained from participating in the demonstration which had had hitherto no police permit by uttering threatening statements as precaution in the morning when they were preparing to start in groups. ACP Kenyela had precautioned the expected demonstrators not to participate and should immediately stop their movements and noted that incase such a demonstration occurs, the police would use force against the demonstrators. Prior to that, he had issued a verbal statement in an interview which was echoed through Wapo Radio station operating in the city and warned the stubborn supports there is a likelihood of the emergence of chaos and misunderstandings among themselves if their demands would not be met. He also told them that, the Minister’s office was not aware of their demonstration an aspect that, demonstrators might use the opportunity to cause some losses to the ministry’s properties if dared to enter into their compound premises without their consent or awareness. The third point he highlighted is the fact that, the road through which the demonstrators would use is narrow as it is still under construction, and added that, their abrupt presence along would prevent the construction activities as there would be no police around to take care. However, he said such interference is likely to cause losses to a contractor and the government as well. Speaking on behalf of the legislator Mnyika, the coordinator of the planned demonstration from the MP’s office Gaston Garubindi, said that, he was disappointed by the statements earlier issued by the ACP Kenyela in a radio broadcast.
Chadema party’s publicity secretary and the current Member of Parliament for Ubungo constituency Hon. John Mnyika.
He said that, Kenyela had deceived the public with his statements when he said the Minister was not aware of their planed mission and yet their party had had already wrote a letter to the Minister with ref. No: OMU/MJ/001/2013 dated two weeks ago informing him about their intention, and a copy of which was sent to other ministerial leaders of the same ministry. Elaborating on the issue of chaos which is likely to occur, he refuted such allegations and noted that, it’s the police who would institute such chaos due to their persistent threats that deaths might occur which they have been issuing now and then, he affirmed. “Deaths won’t occur just because of the peaceful demonstration, always it’s the police who are causing deaths during public demonstrations for they use firearms, but for us we have clarified it’s a peaceful demonstration, but the police take the matter as a political agenda” he said. He also noted that, their planned peaceful demonstration would not cause losses or inferences to social and economic activities as demanded by the police as they all know what they are doing. However, he added that, their aim is to get to know the clear answers of the questions their legislator (Mnyika) had recently presented as a private agenda for discussion in the recent Parliamentary debate when he addressed the acute shortage of water in the city of Dar es Salaam as a representative of the people of the Ubungo constituency. Meanwhile, the Ubungo legislator managed to hold a meeting with small group of people in his constituency yesterday at Manzese kwa Bhakresa, a venue which was earlier planned to start the demonstration. During his meeting, he talked with his people issues related with the water, land ownership and the problems of the decoders. The latter issue had a great impact to Television viewers as most of them were unable to afford their prices. In view of this, the legislator Mnyika has promised them to wind up a parliamentary debate pressing for the government to revert their decision so as to make the people of Dar es Salaam city to revert into former analogue system as most of them were not yet ready to buy the decoders which are affordable at a high price rate. He has also pledged to send an appeal to the police force that had refused to grant him permission of staging a peaceful demonstration and noted that, their mission is still there and will see it’s implemented. After having been denied a permit to stage a legal demonstration, The survey by this blog carried between Manzese and Ubungo yesterday in the morning and found a massive of anti-police riot (FFU) who were deployed at various strategic points in readiness to curb with whatever could happen if the police orders could be defied by Chadema supporters. A spot check at the Ministry of Water witnessed three FFU anti riot police soldiers standing at the gate with their tear guts holding over their shoulders probably waiting for the order to disperse the demonstrators who would defy their orders, but had surrendered and dared not to demonstrate.
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