Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) communications director Philip Etale has said while the grievances raised by protesters are valid, continued disobedience during demonstrations contributes to police brutality a situation he says must be addressed with fairness and mutual respect.

Speaking during an interview with Radio Generation on Tuesday morning, Etale acknowledged that Kenyans have genuine reasons for taking to the streets.

“They’re speaking against corruption, they’re speaking against police brutality and many other issues that they have presented,” he said. “Very legit.”

However, he pointed out that the way some protesters conduct themselves during demonstrations has led to violent reactions from the police.

“Police brutality is caused by disobedience of the people,” he said.

Etale insisted that while security forces must be held accountable, the public must also act responsibly during protests.

The ODM Director further recalled a conversation with a police officer in Narok whose arm was chopped off by demonstrators.

The officer had been guarding a shop that was being targeted by looters.

"He was carrying out his duty…'I fired in the air to disperse the crowds. Then, you know, my arm was chopped off,"' the officer told him.

Etale said such incidents contribute to bitterness among police officers who feel disrespected and endangered.

However, the ODM official was clear that not all victims of police brutality were doing anything wrong.

He further condemned the use of excessive force by officers, saying those who shoot unarmed citizens must be prosecuted.

“Police officers who are trigger-happy must be arrested and prosecuted. If you shoot arbitrarily at the people demonstrating who are harmless, then it’s upon yourself as a police officer to take responsibility,” Etale said.

“We shouldn’t have a police force that is trigger-happy. It’s a police service, no longer a police force,” he added.

Going further, the ODM Director said Kenya’s Constitution was clear that the police must serve the people, not rule them.

“The 2010 Constitution envisaged that the police service should be friendly to the people,” he said.

He warned that failure to address both sides of the conflict, police abuse and protester aggression would push the country deeper into crisis.

In conclusion, Etale He called for a national shift in attitude, urging both citizens and police officers to respect each other’s rights and humanity.

“We must have respect for each other. Police officers must respect the right to life and also the demonstrators must realise that these are our comrades… our youth… fellow human beings. We need to be friendly with each other.”

Etale’s remarks come days after deadly violence rocked the Saba Saba protests held across the country.

According to a statement from the National Police Service, 11 civilians were killed and over 160 injured during the protests.

Among those injured were 52 police officers.

Police also reported widespread destruction: 125 police vehicles, 36 government vehicles, and 47 civilian cars were damaged during the unrest. A total of 567 people were arrested.

The NPS said while there were calls for peaceful conduct, some protest areas experienced lawlessness and violent clashes.

Etale urged Kenyans to reflect on the state of the country and choose peace and responsibility over destruction. “In a delicate point that we are in, we must think about Kenya first before ourselves.”