Saturday 10 march 2007 in the afternoon, 56 members of People’s Parliament (a Kenyan people’s initiative) were beaten and arrested in Jeveejanjee’s Gardens by numerous police forces. 5 of them were wounded, three more seriously. One of them at least was only transferred to hospital more than 24 hours later.

For the last 15 years the People’s Parliament has been meeting everyday at the park to discuss social issues, including from the point of views of the poorest, in a country suffering intolerable social inequalities. People’s Parliament became worlwide famous for their commitement to free access for Kenyan peoples to the recent World Social Forum in Nairobi. In the weeks following the WSF, two PP’s members had been arrested and finally released. There was a real fear that the government of M. MWAI KIBAKI would put pression against opposition in the perspective of forthcoming presidential pool next december.

On Monday 12, 27 PP’s members were arraigned in court (exception of three of them who are at the hospital) and charged with obstruction of justice and malicious damage. They are now in custody and can’t afford a 3 000 KS (43 USD) bond to be released.

In the same time, on Sunday 11 which is public holiday, the Nairobi City Council closed public access to Jeevenjee’s Gardens and engaged into public works. These public works are supposed to be part of a « revitalization project » for Jeevanjee’s Gardens supported by UN-HABITAT under the guise of the Safer cities Initiative.

The NO-VOX network is supporting People’s Parliament and condemns strongly the acts of repression againts its members. We demand :

– Immediate release of all prisonners and withdrawal of charges ;

– Immediate arraignment of the Nairobi City Council Officers who were responsible
for beating and injuring 5 members of People’s Parliament ;

– That the Kenyan government puts immediately an end to the concerted effort
to harrass members of People’s Parliament and guarantees constitutionnal rights and particulary Right to assemble ;

– Immediate cease of the public works at Jeevanjee’s Gardens and United Nations pressure

– Immediate clarification of the UN-Habitat Jeevanjee’s revitalization’s project,
which is supposed to be the result of a « participatory process » which is still to be implemented.

SEND URGENTLY YOUR FAX TO

HON. MUSIKARI KOMBO, Minister, Local government - FAX: +254 20 337 960

and : president statehousekenya.go.ke

First signatures : IPAM Network – Initiatives For Another World, No-Vox network, APEIS – movement for unemployement, information and solidarity , AC ! – Action against Unemployement, DAL – Right to Housing, CDSL - Local Movement of homeless, Right to Peasant, Dd !! - Front of Rights !!,

SEND YOUR SIGNATURES UNTIL THE 15^th OF MARCH, AT 12am TO: contact novox.ras.eu.org