6 year olds being tear-gassed

One of the most upsetting items on the news that I came across this week was on Monday when police in full riot gear, attacked the students at a primary school in Kibera area of Nairobi, with tear gas.

The reason for the attack? The children were complaining at the erection of a fence around the playground of their school, which prevented them from being able to have full access to their school. Local officials had erected the fence after the land had been bought by wealthy developers, and the children weren’t going to let this underhand move go unnoticed.

The photos on the BBC news report show children overcome by the tear gas, and several were taken to hospital.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30879938

I confess I have a soft spot for the children of primary schools in Nairobi, having spent many happy occasions at the Spurgeons Academy in Kibera, as part of CRED Team Trips there. I have seen on many occasions the hunger these children have for education, and how much they will sacrifice to be able to go to school. This event is just another example of that. They are so inspiring and their attitude to education is often a transformative part of the experience for our young people who take education so much for granted.

But what is so upsetting, apart from the evidence of corruption and underhanded means that are increasingly rife in Kenya regarding land-grabbing, is the manner of the police in dealing with the situation.

Riot gear and tear gas do seem very heavy-handed, especially when used on children as young as 6 years old.  What was the rationale behind this approach? Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut – it’s just appalling.

Around the world are too many examples of oppression of free speech. We’ve seen it in France and in Belgium recently, in Saudi Arabia, in Syria, in Pakistan, in Nigeria, in so many places. This is another example, and it’s just so wrong. 

So wrong, and for those of us who live in countries where we don’t need to watch our backs every time we say something, it is a right we must continue to cherish, and to stand in solidarity with others who are doing all that they can to preserve the right in their countries.