(Nairobi) Recent anti-government protests in Kenya over proposed new taxes have left 39 people dead, the country’s official human rights watchdog said Monday.
“According to our data, 39 people have died and 361 others have been injured in the protests across the country,” the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) said in a statement.
In addition, she claimed to have recorded 32 cases of “forced or involuntary disappearances” and 627 arrests of demonstrators.
This assessment comes on the eve of a new day of mobilization initiated by the country’s youth against the government of President William Ruto.
Born in mid-June on social networks, strong opposition to the draft budget strongly mobilized among young people, before drawing in its wake Kenyans of all ages.
The anti-tax slogan has turned into a protest against President Ruto who, since coming to power in 2022, has created and increased several taxes which have hit the purchasing power of Kenyans hard.
Although several demonstrations took place from June 18 without major incidents, the day of mobilization on June 25 descended into chaos: demonstrators stormed Parliament, which had just voted on the criticized 2024-25 draft budget. , and the police then fired live ammunition into the crowd.
“The Commission continues to condemn in the strongest terms the unjustified violence against protesters, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists and in safe spaces such as churches, emergency medical centres and ambulances,” she added.
“We maintain that the force used against the protesters was excessive and disproportionate,” she said.
The KNHRC had previously reported 22 people killed on June 25, while a group of local NGOs, including the Kenyan branch of Amnesty International, counted 23 deaths “caused by police shooting.”
On Saturday, the NGO Human Rights Watch said it had recorded at least 31 deaths in several cities across the country.
The Kenyan president said on Sunday that 19 people died on June 25 and said he had “no blood on his hands,” saying that “the police did their best” and that “criminals infiltrated and caused chaos.”
The day after the deadly day of protest, he announced the withdrawal of the criticized text.