Pressure mounts to probe Kenya police and army after BBC exposé
Leading human rights organisations have renewed calls for investigations into the killing of protesters by Kenya's security forces during demonstrations against a rise in taxes last June.
It follows a BBC Africa Eye investigation, exposing members of the security forces who shot dead three protesters at Kenya's parliament, igniting public outrage and demands for justice.
Amnesty International and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said the officers identified in the documentary should "face the law".
The BBC said it had cancelled a private screening of the documentary in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Monday "due to pressure from the authorities".
"We are very disappointed not to have been able to share the documentary and panel discussion as planned," a BBC spokesperson said.
"In the meantime, audiences can watch the film on BBC Africa's YouTube channel," the spokesperson added.
'They aimed to kill' - BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters
BBC Africa Eye's Blood Parliament documentary revealed how security forces brutally responded to youthful protesters who breached Kenya's parliament on 25 June 2024, the day lawmakers voted to approve the proposed tax hikes.
The controversial finance bill was aimed at raising $2.7bn (£2bn) the government said it needed to cut its reliance on external borrowing - but had sparked widespread.
Using open-source data and user-generated content, the BBC's analysis of more than 5,000 images identified uniformed security personnel - a policeman and solider - who opened fire killing three unarmed protesters at parliament.
The wider clampdown by the security forces on a series of protests against the finance bill left at least 65 people dead, resulted in the forcible disappearance of 89 others and the arrest of thousands, according to Amnesty International. The Kenyan government put the death toll at 42.
Amnesty said the documentary corroborated the group's earlier report that "unnecessary and excessive lethal force was used against protesters".
It demanded both the police and the Kenya army to "act and publicly state the actions being taken with regard to the findings of the BBC exposé".
The rights group urged Kenyans to sign a petition calling for a public inquiry into the killings during what were dubbed the #OccupyParliament protests.
The KHRC said the BBC documentary revealed how "organised criminals in police and military uniforms" were deployed "to murder innocent Kenyans".
It said the "responsibility rests with [President William] Ruto, who must be held accountable for these deaths".
Kenyans expressed their anger online, pressing the government to hold security officers accountable for the killings and injuries of peaceful protesters.
Ruto has previously defended police against accusations of brutality and recently warned Kenyans against commenting on military matters.
Police have also repeatedly denied involvement in the abductions and killings. No officers have been charged.
In response to the BBC documentary, the police service said the force could not investigate itself, adding that the Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) was responsible for investigating alleged misconduct.
The Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) told the BBC the IPOA had not forwarded any request to look into any of its personnel involved in the operations at parliament.
On Monday, following the release of the BBC Africa Eye documentary, the IPOA gave an update on the investigations into police brutality witnessed during the anti-tax protests.
The authority revealed that so far, of the 60 deaths under investigation, 41 involved gunshot wounds. IPOA said it had completed 22 investigations, while it was actively pursuing 36, and that two cases were currently before the courts.
The investigating agency said it had recorded 233 injury cases during the demonstrations.
In a statement, the main opposition coalition said the "execution of peaceful protesters was premeditated and sanctioned at the highest levels".
"We strongly warn the Ruto regime on further bloodshed," a joint statement said, reacting to the BBC documentary.
The Kenyan government is yet to officially respond to the BBC documentary but one legislator has called for the BBC to be banned in Kenya.
George Peter Kaluma said that the 37-minute-long documentary risked "destabilising" the country.
But a senator, Edwin Sifuna, defended the documentary saying there were no "fabrications" in it.
"We must encourage these stories to be told from all angles for the sake of truth and justice. Those who are uncomfortable with this are wrestling with their own consciences and we cannot help them with that," Sifuna posted on X.
Batons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutality
New faces of protest - Kenya's Gen Z anti-tax revolutionaries
Kenyan tax protesters take on Christian leaders
Kenyan president's humbling shows power of African youth
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Africa Daily
Focus on Africa
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Breaking down resurfaced rumors that Harvey Milk was a pedophile
In early June 2025, also known as Pride Month, rumors circulated that Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, was a ped*ph*le. The claim spread online as reported U.S. Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth had ordered the U.S. Navy to rename one of its ships that bore the name "Harvey Milk." For example, an X user relayed the rumor (archived): As of this writing, the post had gained nearly 50,000 views and 2,100 likes. The claim further appeared on several other X posts, one of which sought to support its assertion by recounting a relationship Milk, then 33 years old, had started with Jack Galen McKinley, who was 16 years old at the time, in "true groomer fashion" (archived): In 2021, the U.S. Navy sought to honor Milk by christening a ship in his name. Milk served in the Navy for four years. He resigned in 1955 following a psychiatric examination that identified him as a homosexual person rather than being court-martialed. Hegseth's order revived old rumors that the gay rights leader, who was assassinated in 1978, was a ped*ph*le. Snopes found an instance of the claim in 2011, reportedly shared by a group known as SaveCalifornia, which attacked a successful statewide initiative to celebrate Milk's legacy in schools. The SaveCalifornia website also posted about "Harvey Milk Day" in California's public schools in 2019, calling for an end to the commemoration for the sake of protecting children. On the page, a three-minute YouTube video appeared calling Milk a "predator of teens." It is true that in 1964, Milk, then 33 years old, entered a relationship with Galen McKinley, who was 16 years old, according to the Milk biography, "Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death." The relationship started in New York City. Snopes reached out to the New York State Library to confirm what the age of consent was in the state and city that year and we will update this report should they respond. Later, the pair spent time in California, where the age of consent has been 18 years old since at least 1920. Their California sojourn occurred around 1969, when Galen McKinley was 23 years old. The two remained a couple until at least 1970 and they stayed in touch for years after that. Absent a clear age of consent in the state of New York, however, Snopes examined psychiatric criteria to determine whether Milk would be considered a ped*ph*le for entering into a relationship with Galen McKinley. Pedophilia is not a legal term but a clinical one. In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) treats pedophilia as a mental disorder, defining it as "a paraphilia in which sexual acts or fantasies involving prepubertal children are the persistently preferred or exclusive method of achieving sexual excitement." Prepubertal children can be as old as 11 years old. In other words, a 16-year-old boy is not prepubertal. The APA and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have yet to define the attraction to children older than 11 years of age. For example, while California has established the age of consent at 18, it also includes a statute according to which "a person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years." In other words, the law of the state makes a distinction between the age of consent and sexual crimes committed against children younger than 14 years old. In sum, while it is possible Milk's relationship with Galen McKinley may have violated the laws of consent in the state of New York in 1964, it does not appear that modern psychological standards would deem him a ped*ph*le. We will update this report when we can determine what the age of consent was in the state at the time the relationship took place. "A Complete Genealogy and Family History Resource Center." 2025, Accessed 4 June 2025.. Archive: Adminstrator 1. "Harvey Milk Day// - 2019, Accessed 4 June 2025. Blanchard, Ray, et al. "Pedophilia, Hebephilia, and the DSM-V." Archives of Sexual Behavior, vol. 38, no. 3, Aug. 2008, pp. 335–50, Accessed 4 June 2025. "Children and Youth in History | Age of Consent Laws [Table]." 2021, Accessed 4 June 2025. Kratz, Jessie. "Harvey Milk: Veteran." Pieces of History, 28 June 2023, Accessed 4 June 2025. "Law Section." Accessed 4 June 2025. Mehta, Kalika. "US Navy to Rename Ship Named after Gay Activist Harvey Milk." Deutsche Welle, 3 June 2025, Accessed 4 June 2025. Milk, Harvey. "Jewish Lives." Jewish Lives, 2024, Accessed 4 June 2025. "Pedophilia | APA Dictionary of Psychology." Accessed 4 June 2025. Writers, Staff. "Milk Pedophile Claim." Star Observer, 31 May 2011, Accessed 4 June 2025.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
BBC defends its Gaza coverage against White House claim
The BBC rejected White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's claims that the news outlet took 'the word of Hamas' when reporting on casualties in Gaza. During Tuesday's press briefing, Leavitt claimed the BBC retracted a story that featured statistics on deaths caused by Israeli forces in a story. 'The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism. Karoline Leavitt criticised the BBC for changing the number of casualties in the story's headline. The corporation said its coverage was updated with new figures throughout the day, which is 'totally normal practice on any fast-moving news story,'' the BBC said in a statement. The media company said the number of deaths reported was 'always clearly attributed, from the first figure of 15 from medics, through the 31 killed from the Hamas-run health ministry to the final Red Cross statement of 'at least 21' at their field hospital,' the statement added. BBC noted there were conflicting reports describing a violent attack on individuals seeking aid at a distribution center in Rafah on Sunday. 'The administration is aware of those reports and we are currently looking into the veracity of them because unfortunately unlike some of those in the media we don't take the word of Hamas with total truth, we like to look into it, unlike the BBC,' Leavitt said Tuesday. Since November, experts have warned that the population in northern Gaza is at 'imminent risk' of starvation. Israel blocked aid from entering Gaza in March with support from the White House after Hamas's refusal to agree to a second ceasefire deal. The BBC said Israel does not allow international news organizations into Gaza, making it difficult to verify what is happening in the territory. But BBC maintained that it continues to adhere to journalistic standards. The Washington Post issued a correction to its story regarding the incident in Rafah on social platforms, explaining its article did not meet the Post's fairness standards and lacked proper attribution. 'We told you we'd hold the Fake News accountable,' Leavitt wrote in response to the post. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hamas is the cause of Gaza's predicament
The situation in Gaza is 'intolerable and appalling', the Prime Minister told MPs. Whose fault is that? Sir Keir Starmer laid the blame at Israel's door, whereas just a few months ago culpability would have been attached to Hamas. The terror group has got precisely what it wanted: international opinion has turned against Israel and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu must take steps to make sure they are not aiding and abetting this. He and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) must avoid turning a just cause – the defence of their homeland from the murderous predations of its enemies – into a diplomatic coup for the perpetrators. Hamas thinks nothing of using hospitals, schools or other civilian buildings to house its command posts, knowing they will be targeted by the IDF seeking to extirpate the group's command structure. Inevitably civilians are killed, but the terrorist group considers them expendable. Now, Hamas is using the efforts to bring humanitarian aid to Palestinians to further its media campaign against Israel. It is no longer able to control the delivery of food and other emergency supply because Jerusalem has cut the United Nations out of the loop. The reason for this is that when the UN ran the convoys they were intercepted by Hamas which then sold the goods at marked up prices. Israel's attempts to stop this has led to riots at aid posts, with the IDF firing on queues. This is reported by the BBC with little in the way of context. Of course, it is appalling to see civilians die in these circumstances and a ceasefire deal on terms set out by the US – accepted by Israel but rejected by Hamas – would be the best way forward. But such an outcome is increasingly difficult to achieve when the BBC's narrative that Israel is always in the wrong permeates into the political discourse. The Trump administration has criticised the Corporation for accepting Hamas's word at face value, something BBC chiefs deny. Israel is also furious with what it considers to be biased reporting. The BBC invariably reports the worst of Israel, only to add the caveat that it cannot verify reports because it is denied access to Gaza. This makes it naively vulnerable to Hamas propaganda, which it seems all too ready to swallow. There is a way around this, which is for Israel to lift its ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza independently to let them see for themselves. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
