NAIROBI, Kenya –
In a brutal turn of events, Kenyan police allegedly unleashed unnecessary force on peaceful protesters trying to storm parliament during demonstrations against harsh taxation and spending laws, Amnesty International reports. Approximately 64 individuals perished.
The police clashed with young activists demanding the repeal of the Finance Bill, a three-month showdown that culminated in a tragic shootout. The aftermath left numerous casualties, some grappling with severe injuries.
The chaos prompted President William Ruto to disband his cabinet and abandon the Finance Bill 2024, which had incited public outrage due to its IMF-inspired tax hikes.
“It was a day marked by officers without identification badges, uniforms, or police-marked vehicles, shooting at protesters and making arrests,” remarked Irũngũ Houghton, Amnesty’s Kenya director, in a statement to Reuters, as the organization laid out its detailed reconstruction of the incident.
As the report was released, Kenya’s police had yet to respond to Amnesty’s enquiries. This protest significantly rattled Ruto’s presidency, necessitating a cabinet overhaul that saw many of his allies ousted.
The Bill, approved by parliament on June 25th, led to unprecedented bloodshed outside the legislature. In an effort to restore order, President Ruto had to call in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Amnesty’s detailed account of that day’s events, corroborated by five partners and based on interviews with 23 witnesses, along with an analysis of numerous videos and photographs, painted a grim picture. More protests ensued in July, resulting in extensive property damage across Nairobi.
As unarmed citizens breached parliament, individuals dressed in civilian clothing were “captured on video discharging rifles and handguns towards both the crowd and into the air,” Amnesty detailed. “Researchers counted at least 45 shots in mere 56 seconds.”
Three eyewitnesses testified to witnessing at least six bodies of protesters, allegedly shot dead within the parliament grounds, according to Amnesty. “I saw my friend collapsing,” one interviewee recounted, under anonymity. “He was shot.”
The Amnesty report included images showing groups of men in civilian outfits, armed and operating alongside the police, Reuters noted.
Amnesty further accused Kenyan police of unlawfully deploying tear gas, beating, and arbitrarily detaining peaceful demonstrators. Some protesters retaliated by throwing back tear gas canisters, pelting stones, breaking windows, and seizing flags, the report disclosed.
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