KENYA:A Kenyan human rights group yesterday condemned the arrest of five activists during a protest at plans to grant big pay rises to legislators.
Police fired tear gas on Tuesday to scatter dozens of demonstrators who had tried to march on the country's parliament in the centre of Nairobi.
The demonstration was called to protest against a proposal to give Kenyan lawmakers - already some of the best paid legislators in the world - a 1.4 billion shilling (€15.2 million) "severance package" ahead of elections in December.
But a police spokesman said no permission had been sought. "It baffles the police why people with a legitimate concern could decide to hold a demonstration in an illegal and clandestine way," Eric Kiraithe said. Charges would be brought soon, he said.
In a bizarre twist, three of the detained activists were injured in a traffic accident while in a police car being transferred between police stations. They were treated in hospital before being returned to police custody.
Mr Kiraithe said claims by the activists' colleagues that the crash was an attempted assassination were untrue and outrageous.
Kenya's legislators first infuriated the public - which widely views them as greedy, selfish and lazy - by quadrupling their salaries in 2003 as their first order of business. Since then, they have rarely been able to raise the quorum of 30 out of 222 MPs, except when their own compensation has been up for debate. Under the proposed Bill they would get 12.5 per cent of their annual earnings, backdated to January 2003.
An average legislator earns the equivalent of at least €8,500 a month, including generous allowances. By comparison, a typical Kenyan teacher receives about €180 a month.
"The arrests of these activists must be construed to be illegal, unconstitutional and an abuse of the police force by the government," the Kenya Human Rights Commission said. - (Reuters)