The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Amnesty Kenya have strongly condemned the police’s actions after officers used tear gas to disperse peaceful protesters in Nairobi advocating for an end to femicide in the country.
The demonstration coincided with the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism, observed annually from November 25 to December 10.
The protest, held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, drew attention from human rights organisations and legal bodies, including LSK. The clash between the police and demonstrators has sparked outrage, with calls for accountability.
Faith Odhiambo, LSK President, criticised the violent response by police, urging them to focus on combating gender-based violence rather than targeting peaceful protesters.
“The habit of violent response by police to Kenyans expressing their constitutional right to demonstrate and picket is increasingly becoming incorrigible.
“There is absolutely no justification for attacking, arresting, and interfering with harmless Kenyans agitating for the protection of women, especially when the threat of violence against women is, ostensibly, a national crisis. The police must refocus their energy on ending and fighting atrocities, not perpetuating them.
“We support ending femicide, and we support all the brave Kenyans who came out today to call for the overdue change,” Odhiambo stated on X (formerly Twitter).
LSK and Amnesty Kenya issued a joint statement denouncing the police’s conduct as a violation of democratic principles and human rights.
“On this International Human Rights Day, a day dedicated to celebrating and upholding the dignity, freedom, and rights of all people, we witnessed a grave violation of these very principles. Peaceful protestors in Nairobi—predominantly women and allies—marching against the epidemic of femicide were teargassed, violently dispersed, and unlawfully arrested by police.
“This protest was a courageous stand against the killing of women, a demand for urgency in investigating these murders, and a call for perpetrators to be held accountable. It is a vital exercise of the constitutionally guaranteed rights to assemble, demonstrate, and petition, as outlined in Article 37 of the Kenyan Constitution. The violent response by police, including the arrest of these peaceful protestors, is a direct attack on Kenya’s democratic principles and the human rights of its citizens,” the statement read.
The organisations emphasised that the protest was a lawful exercise of the rights to assemble, demonstrate, and petition, guaranteed under Article 37 of Kenya’s Constitution. They argued that the use of excessive force, teargas, and unwarranted arrests contravened national and international human rights laws.
LSK and Amnesty Kenya demanded the immediate release of detained protesters without charge, an independent investigation into police actions, and accountability for those involved in the violent dispersal.
They also called for urgent government action to address femicide and protect women from violence.
“The fight for women’s lives is a fight for the soul of our nation,” the statement concluded, urging authorities to uphold human rights and ensure justice.
