The casualty count is nearly double the previously reported figure, as activists prepare for another wave of protests this week.
Demonstrators hold the body of a man shot during a protest against proposed tax hikes in Nairobi’s financial district [File: Brian Inganga/AP]
At least 39 individuals have been killed in the latest anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, according to the national rights watchdog, with activists gearing up for more protests this week.
On Monday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) announced a death toll of 39, almost twice what the government earlier reported. These deaths occurred during protests against a series of unpopular tax hikes that have now been repealed.
According to KNCHR, 39 people died and 361 were injured “in connection to the countrywide protests,” covering the period from June 18 to July 1.
The commission also reported 32 instances of “enforced or involuntary disappearances” and 627 arrests of protesters.
Mostly peaceful anti-tax protests, led by younger Gen-Z activists, erupted into violent clashes last Tuesday after lawmakers approved the contested legislation.
Following the vote announcement, crowds vandalized the parliament complex in central Nairobi, setting parts of it on fire as police responded with live ammunition.
This is the gravest crisis facing President William Ruto’s administration since his contentious election win in September 2022 in a nation often seen as an oasis of stability in a volatile region.
In a TV interview on Sunday, Ruto stated 19 people died during the protests but denied having “blood on my hands,” pledging an investigation into the fatalities.
The KNCHR strongly condemned “the unwarranted violence and force inflicted on protesters, medical staff, lawyers, journalists, and safe spaces such as churches, emergency centers, and ambulances,” according to a statement.
“The force used against protesters was excessive and disproportionate,” the watchdog maintained.
They also condemned “violent and appalling acts of lawlessness exhibited by some protesters,” including targeting the parliament and other government buildings.
Despite Ruto’s announcement last week that he wouldn’t sign the tax-laden bill into law, activists have called for renewed protests starting Tuesday.
Leaflets circulating on social media bear slogans like “Occupy Everywhere,” “Ruto must go,” and “Reject Budgeted Corruption.”
Kenya’s financially-strained government had insisted that tax hikes were essential to manage a whopping public debt of approximately 10 trillion shillings ($78bn), around 70 percent of the GDP.
The International Monetary Fund has urged Kenya to implement fiscal reforms to secure vital funding from the Washington, DC-based entity.
Post-protests, Ruto rolled back some tax measures, prompting the treasury to warn of a significant 200 billion shillings ($1.6bn) budget shortfall.
In Sunday’s interview, Ruto cautioned that the government might need heavy borrowing due to the finance bill’s retraction.
Analysts suggest this tax U-turn has significantly weakened Ruto domestically, leaving his administration divided and invigorating his opponents.
“Bound by foreign interests and never pro-people, Ruto’s administration was destined for these consequences,” stated Willy Mutunga, Kenya’s ex-chief justice, to Reuters.
“If youth’s material interests are ignored, the gap only widens,” Mutunga emphasized.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
