A fresh wave of youth-led anti-government protests that have swept across Kenya on Wednesday in the wake of the unexplained death of a popular blogger in police custody has been marred by at least 16 deaths.
The demonstrations also coincide with the one-year anniversary of last year’s mass protests against President William Ruto’s proposed tax hikes where at least 60 persons and killed and hundreds wounded.
The demonstration against poor governance and police high-handedness saw thousands of Kenyans making their way to the central business district in the capital, Nairobi.
Some protesters clashed with police, and 16 people were “verified dead as of 8:30”, Amnesty Kenya’s executive director Irungu Houghton told reporters, adding that the figures were confirmed by the global rights watchdog and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
“Most were killed by police,” Houghton said, adding that at least five of the victims had been shot dead.
Last week, protesters demanded answers for the unexplained death of a Kenyan blogger while in police custody.
State-funded body Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said in a statement that at least 61 people were arrested during the protests.
An official at the capital’s main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people.
“107 admitted, most with gunshot injuries,” the source said, referring to rubber bullets and live rounds. He added that no deaths had been reported at KNH.
Many turned to social media to share updates and remember slain protesters after the Communications Authority of Kenya directed local media to stop all live broadcasts of the protests halfway through the day.
Others posted anti-government messages and memes. On the streets, some could be seen offering protesters water.
‘Too many Kenyans are losing their lives’
Calls for accountability have grown louder in Kenya after a street hawker was killed during last week’s protests. A Kenyan court has given detectives 15 days to complete investigations into two police officers suspected of the shooting.
This came as young people flooded social media platforms throughout the week with commemorations of protesters killed last year. At the time, Ruto apologised and vowed to end police brutality as the top police chief resigned.
“Not a single officer has been held to account,” said Hussein Khaled, a human rights activist, adding that people took to the streets “to demand justice in terms of compensation … arrest of those officers who were involved … police reforms because too many Kenyans are losing their lives” to police brutality.
Last year’s deadly protests strongly opposed a finance bill that raised taxes significantly to address debt. This placed undue burden on young, educated people struggling with unemployment and a rising cost of living. Ruto later scrapped the bill.
Some tax proposals were reintroduced later, drawing widespread criticism and calls for Ruto’s resignation, following the appointment of a new but widely criticised cabinet. A revamped healthcare levy also changed standard premiums to a progressive tax, based on income.
According to the United Nations’ data, 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 30, with 67 percent of Kenya’s young population is unemployed.
Ruto has been accused of misappropriating taxpayer money on lavish trips, most notably the use of a private jet on his trip to the United States right before last year’s protests. He apologised and dismissed ministers accused of incompetence, corruption and displays of opulence amid complaints about the high cost of living.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s opposition has been criticised with the masses saying it has become complicit after joining Ruto’s new cabinet.
