The nation has faced an unrelenting surge of protests spearheaded by young citizens frustrated with economic struggles, rampant corruption, and police brutality. These demonstrations began last June when tax hikes were proposed, provoking widespread dissent.
The protests have been met with escalating force from police authorities.
In a passionate address in Swahili to his supporters in Nairobi, President Ruto exclaimed, “They want to start chaos, organize protests, burn people’s property, bring disaster to overthrow the government before 2027… How can one justify organizing chaos to overthrow the government?”
His frustration was palpable as he continued, “You cannot sponsor violence and go scot-free,” further declaring that any attacks on the police would be construed as a “declaration of war!”
Ruto’s remarks, his most severe to date, followed nationwide anti-government demonstrations earlier in the week that resulted in at least 31 deaths, according to rights groups. These groups have criticized police for employing excessive force during protests, as well as the emergence of paid participants who disrupt and loot during gatherings.
The toll was reported as the highest single-day fatality count since the protests escalated earlier this year, per the state-funded human rights commission on Tuesday.
Additionally, the commission noted that 107 people sustained injuries, and over 500 arrests were made amidst the widespread damage to property, including supermarkets. Curiously, the figures did not clarify whether security forces suffered casualties.
Death Toll Hits 31
For weeks, both youth and other concerned citizens have swarmed the streets, demanding an end to police brutality and poor governance. They also called for President Ruto’s resignation over alleged corruption and the ever-climbing cost of living.
Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, implored authorities on Tuesday to address the underlying grievances fostering these protests. His spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, emphasized the need for “calm and restraint, and full respect for freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”
Monday’s demonstrations were meticulously timed with roadblocks to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the monumental Saba Saba pro-democracy protests. July 7 has profound historical resonance in Kenya, recalling 1990’s protests that urged then-President Daniel arap Moi to shift from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy, a vision realized in the 1992 general elections.
This year’s unrest was ignited by a blogger’s suspicious death in police custody. A civilian was shot at close range by police on June 17, and by June 25, thousands of youths turned out nationwide.
In the past two weeks alone, 50 individuals have lost their lives amid the growing unrest.
The Kenya National Cohesion and Integration Commission, a government entity with commissioners appointed by the president, urged political leaders to avoid inflaming ethnic tensions and criticized law enforcement’s heavy-handed response to protestors.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen last week controversially instructed police to “shoot on sight” anyone approaching police stations during the demonstrations, following the torching of several stations.
Public fury has been further fueled by Ruto’s push for citizens to bear more of the financial burden to repay massive government debts. Last year, mass protests against increased taxation prompted Ruto to pledge government spending cuts.
Amid the turmoil, some opportunists have taken advantage of the chaos, leaving businesses counting their losses. Nancy Gicharu, a mobile phone seller, lamented, “They invaded our shop, and by the way, we have lost so many things. We lost cash, phones, a lot of them.”
