Police fire teargas at FKF special general meeting in Meru

Officers from the Police Rapid Deployment Unit fired teargas into a room where delegates were waiting for a Football Kenya Federation meeting, according to the FKF, while separate reports cover a road safety crackdown in four counties.

What happened

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Special General Meeting in Meru was disrupted on Saturday, November 7, after police fired teargas canisters into the room at Three Steers Hotel where delegates had gathered [1]. In a statement, the FKF said officers from the Police Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) moved into the venue and discharged teargas into the meeting room, and that the meeting had not commenced [1]. A separate report, headlined as the meeting erupting into chaos, said some delegates were struggling to gain access and raised concerns over whether all duly accredited members would be able to attend [2]. The sources do not include a police response to these claims.

Why Kenyans are searching for it

The sources do not explain why the word 'police' is trending in Kenya as a whole. Two of the three extracts cover the FKF meeting [1][2], and one covers a road safety campaign [3]. None of them links search interest to a single event, so this explainer cannot confirm the reason for the trend.

Key facts

• The FKF Special General Meeting was held in Meru and disrupted on Saturday, November 7 [1].
• According to the FKF, the meeting had not started after the incident [1].
• The FKF attributes the teargas to officers from the Police Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) [1].
• The meeting is described as addressing a leadership crisis in the FKF [2].
• Some delegates reportedly had difficulty gaining access to the meeting [2].
• The National Police Service (NPS) has intensified road safety operations in four counties, targeting boda boda riders and other road users [3].
• The campaign is described as aimed at reducing road incidents, although the extract cuts off at that point [3].

What to watch

• Whether the FKF meeting goes ahead and whether all accredited delegates are able to attend [1][2].
• Any statement from the police on the FKF incident, which none of the extracts contains.
• The names of the four counties in the road safety campaign and its results, which the extract does not give [3].

Sources

1. [1] Chaos as Police Fire Teargas at FKF Special General Meeting - Nairobi Tea
2. [2] Police lob teargas as FKF Special General Meeting erupts into chaos in Meru - Nairobi Tea
3. [3] Police launch road safety crackdown in four counties targeting boda boda riders - Nairobi Tea

Compiled by the NairobiCity trend desk from the sources above.