Activist Injured in Attack as Lobby Group Files Petition to Remove Energy and Trade CS's

 

By James Mutua 

A grassroots lobby group has condemned what it describes as a violent attack on its national convenor, even as it escalated pressure on senior government officials over an ongoing fuel scandal.

Mtetezi, the Grassroots Economic Justice Movement, said its National Convenor, Francis Awino, was assaulted by a group of goons who disrupted a press briefing, attacked journalists, and left him injured and hospitalized. The group linked the incident to its calls for the resignation of Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui over alleged links to the controversial substandard fuel waiver process.

According to the movement, Awino has since been discharged from hospital.

In a press statement issued Friday, Mtetezi announced that it has filed a public interest petition in court seeking the immediate removal of the two Cabinet Secretaries. The group argues that their offices are linked to a chain of approvals that enabled the importation of substandard fuel into the country.

The petition further claims that investigations into the scandal have already resulted in arrests and resignations of junior officials, and that the continued stay in office of the two Cabinet Secretaries undermines public confidence in accountability processes.

“The assault on a petitioner raises serious concerns of intimidation surrounding the scandal,” the statement read.

In its court filing, the movement is also seeking the immediate suspension of the two officials pending investigations, protection for whistleblowers and public interest petitioners, and accountability for those involved in the violence against Awino and members of the press.

Mtetezi warned that the attack signals a troubling escalation of the dispute, shifting it from a governance issue to one involving alleged violations of constitutional rights, including freedom of expression and public participation.

The group maintained that such incidents must not be allowed to continue and renewed its calls for decisive action against the implicated officials.

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