According to the Kenyan human rights commission, at least 31 people have died as a result of anti-government demonstrations, and at least 107 have been injured as a result.
The National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) also reported two forced disappearances following the country’s demonstrations on Monday, which commemorated an uprising against undemocratic rule in the East African nation.
The commission, which initially listed 10 dead and 29 wounded, added that at least 532 arrests had been made.
In the wake of the violence, police and protesters clashed with one another in the capital, Nairobi, and Eldoret, with the KNCHR accusing the police of cooperating with armed gangs, who were armed with machetes and spears.
Additionally, property was extensively destroyed, including supermarkets.
The KNCHR reaffirmed that it “strongly condemns all human rights violations” and calls for accountability from all accountable parties, including police, citizens, and all others.
Saba Saba Day, or Seven Seven, is observed on Monday as a commemoration of Kenyans who rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy on July 7, 1990, after years of opposition to then-President Daniel arap Moi.
Since Kenyan protests began in June 2024, when proposed tax increases sparked outrage over wider issues, including corruption, police brutality, and the state of the economy. More than a year later, they came as a result of predominantly youth-led protests.
Additionally, protesters have demanded that President William Ruto step down.
The police have severely repressed their actions.
According to the Law Society of Kenya and the Working Group on Police Reforms, “heavily armed police were stationed without permission, driving unmarked vehicles, and using masks to conceal their identities,” according to the Law Society of Kenya.
The Police Reforms Working Group estimates that the protests on Monday occurred in 20 of Kenya’s 47 counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Nyeri, Mombasa, Kisii, Embu, Kisumu, Kiambu, Meru, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Vihiga, Narok, Kirinyaga, Uasin Gishu, Tharaka Nithi, Makueni, Laikipia, and Kakamega.
More than 100 people have died in the protests since they started taking place on Tuesday, which is more than 100 more than the toll.
At least 16 people were killed on June 25 in Kenya, in protest of police brutality and government corruption, according to the report from less than two weeks ago.
Kipchumba Murkomen, the interior secretary of Kenya, issued a command to “shoot on sight” anyone approaching police stations during protests after several were burned.
The Kenya National Cohesion and Integration Commission, a government body whose commissioners are appointed by the president, criticized police for using excessive force against protesters on Tuesday.
The UN Human Rights Office expressed grave concern about the Monday killings of protesters in Kenya in a statement released before the revised death toll.
Source: Aljazeera
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