Dear Kenyans and friends of Kenya,

As an update to my previous email – we have now been able to confirm the names of some of the Bunge la Mwananchi members who were arrested earlier today and are being held at Muthaiga Police Station.

Gacheke Gachihi, Kamau Kamande, Ndegwa Kamande, Mary Wanja (mother to Kamau and Ndegwa Kamande), Chege Irungu, Mbithi Mwangi and Joel Kimani are some of those who have been arrested and charged with belonging to an illegal movement.

We have been barred by the police from obtaining the names of all those in custody and it has not been specified which illegal movement it is that they supposedly belong to.

Bunge la Mwananchi is duly registered under Kenyan laws. We are a grass-root social movement whose membership comprises law abiding citizens committed to ensuring that Kenyans’ voices are heard and our rights are not violated. Bunge La Mwananchi is an open membership forum for democratic expression where Kenyans meet daily across the country to discuss issues affecting them and develop action plans for solving those problems. We will continue to fight for these rights and shall not be silenced by threats and persecution of our members. We therefore demand that the government desist from threatening and persecuting our members.

The Kenyan constitution guarantees every Kenyan the freedoms of assembly, association and expression. It is these rights that we have continued to exercise to dramatise our growing frustration at having to helplessly daily face our starving children go to bed hungry and angry due to failed leadership. The government must not lose sight of the fact that many starving children are additionally suffering because their father or mother is now being detained in violation of his/her constitutional rights.

These arbitrary arrests and intimidation tactics are an affront to our constitutional rights and we shall not cower in resisting any continued attempt to stifle Kenyans voices.

For and on behalf of Bunge la Mwananchi

George Nyongesa

T: +254 720 451 235

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Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:00:30 -0800 [10:00:30 AM CST]
From: George Nyongesa
Subject: Update: Bunge la Mwananchi members now booked