No protester was killed by live bullet, the country is safe - Kenyan government

The Kenyan government has dismissed reports of shooting of protesters by police saying the country is safe and there are no insecurities except in parts of the capital and the port city of Kisumu.

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Interior Fred Matiangi told the media on Saturday morning that there are no demonstrations in the country but criminal activities in Mathare and Kibera slums in Nairobi and in Kisumu.

“The police have not used force against any peaceful demonstrators in this country. Security agencies are facing individuals who are are looting and committing violence. They are not demonstrators but criminals,” he said.

“No one is dead by live bullets. They are all rumours and lies. Everything possible will be done to stop criminality. There is no need for alarm, the country is safe,” he added.

This statement follows reports of killing of at least four people by stray bullets, including a young girl who was hit on a balcony during sporadic gunshots by the police.

The police insisted that they only fired tear gas against witness reports that say live bullets were fired leaving bullet canisters on the road.

Matiangi cautioned some sections of the media for “broadcasting old footage of violence and some from violence outside the countries”.

He also announced the arrest of people who spread “inflammatory” messages on social media to create insecurities in the country.

“We have experienced increased share of inflammatory messages on social media. Security agencies have been instructed to track and arrest the culprits. I can confirm that we have made some arrests,” he said without indicating the number of people arrested.

“Kenyans should revert to their normal lives; security agencies are in place to offer security,” he advised.

On Friday night, President Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared winner of the 2017 presidential election.

He won with 8,203,290 votes representing 54.27%, and his rival Raila Odinga garnered over 6.7 million votes representing 44.74%.

Odinga has rejected the results.

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