Kenya is grappling with the aftermath of intense nationwide protests triggered by the controversial Finance Bill, 2024. The bill, aimed at increasing taxes on various items and services, sparked significant opposition for its perceived punitive nature. Despite strong objections from various sectors presented to the Finance and National Planning Committee, government-allied MPs dismissed these concerns and passed the bill unchanged on June 25.
The situation escalated when young Kenyans, mobilizing through social media, organized large, peaceful street protests starting June 18, urging MPs to reject the bill. The protests intensified public pressure on the regime to abandon the bill. However, the MPs’ decision to pass it led to increased tensions, resulting in violent confrontations with the police.
In response to the protests, police employed lethal force, leading to the deaths and injuries of numerous demonstrators. President William Ruto, initially defiant, ultimately announced on June 26 that he would not sign the bill. During his address, Ruto claimed that six people had lost their lives in the protests. However, reports from the Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya (PRWG-K) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) paint a grimmer picture, with 23 and 22 deaths reported respectively, as of June 25. These numbers exclude two fatalities recorded the previous week.
The discrepancy between official and independent reports extends to injuries as well. Ruto stated that 214 people were injured, while PRWG-K and KNCHR data indicate that police injured 300 protesters, significantly more than the official count.
Arrests and enforced disappearances further marred the protests. While Ruto mentioned that all arrested protesters were processed and released, the Independent Medical Legal Unit (IMLU) reported 98 unlawful arrests, with 56 individuals bailed out by organizations like the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). The remaining detainees were released unconditionally. Last week’s protests saw the arrest of 385 individuals, all of whom were also released unconditionally. PRWG-K reported 22 abductions by security agencies between June 21 and June 25, with additional cases potentially raising this number.
The deployment of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) on June 25 without prior parliamentary approval has drawn sharp criticism. Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale’s actions have been deemed illegal, with calls for his dismissal. This deployment mirrors a similar incident on February 15, 2023, when the KDF was sent to the North Rift to combat banditry without the requisite legislative approval.
In light of these events, multiple human rights organizations, including the Kariobangi Paralegal Network, Defenders Coalition, Katiba Institute, Kenya Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International-Kenya, and others, have issued a comprehensive list of demands. They call for President Ruto to take political responsibility for the atrocities committed under his leadership, cessation of police violence, prosecution of those accountable for the brutality, and upholding of freedom of expression and assembly as guaranteed by Article 37 of the Kenyan Constitution.
Additionally, the regime is urged to cover medical expenses and provide psychosocial support for injured protesters, bear burial costs for those killed, release all unlawfully detained or abducted protesters, and provide full redress to individuals harmed by police violence, in accordance with UN guidelines on reparations.
The organizations also demand the immediate return of KDF to the barracks and the cessation of arbitrary deployments. They call for the removal of CS Duale from public duty and insist on unfettered access to information as stipulated by Article 35 of the Kenyan Constitution. Furthermore, they emphasize the need for adherence to the principles of governance outlined in Article 4 (2) and Article 10 of the Constitution to prevent a recurrence of such events.
As Kenya navigates this turbulent period, the nation awaits to see how these demands will shape the government’s actions and policies moving forward.