Latest news with #KenyaHumanRightsCommission
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Clashes between Kenyan police and anti-government protesters leave three dead
Three people are reported to have died in clashes between the police and crowds of people who gathered on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of antigovernment demonstrations in which dozens were killed. At least two people lost their lives and six others were injured in Matuu, east of the capital, Nairobi, the Kenya Human Rights Commission said. Protests were staged in at least a dozen towns, with thousands taking to the streets. Anti-riot police fired tear gas at relatives of those killed in June 2024 who had planned to lay wreaths at parliament in the capital. They also used water cannons to disperse protesters who lit bonfires and chanted 'one term', a reference to president William Ruto's expected bid to seek re-election in 2027. READ MORE 'Monitors are reporting that police are increasingly resorting to violence against the demonstrators,' the rights commission said. Nairobi-based broadcasters NTV reported that a protester was killed in Ol Kalou, north of Nairobi, while 13 others who were injured were treated in a hospital in the town of Eldoret. The Communication Authority ordered Kenyan media to immediately halt live coverage of the demonstrations and threatened regulatory action if they did not comply. The Kenya Editors Guild called the directive a violation of the constitution and 'an affront to press freedom and public accountability'. Two of the country's biggest broadcasters, Nation Media Group and Standard Media Group, said the regulator switched off their transmission signals, but they continued to screen footage of the demonstrations via YouTube. Internet monitoring service NetBlocks reported restrictions to messaging platform Telegram. Most businesses remained shut in Nairobi and Kenya Railways suspended commuter services to the outskirts of the city. The police barricaded roads leading to parliament and the president's residence to prevent planned marches. Protesters in the port city of Mombasa lit candles to commemorate the deaths of the more than 60 people who were killed when the police used live bullets to disperse crowds last year. The authorities have only prosecuted two cases over the 2024 deaths, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority said. 'A year after, nothing has happened,' opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka said in remarks broadcast on NTV. People 'are rightfully angry.' Last year's protests were sparked by the National Treasury's plans to raise taxes and introduce new ones. These culminated in thousands of people storming parliament on June 25 – which is when most of the fatalities occurred. While Mr Ruto scrapped the planned tax hikes, his government subsequently reintroduced many of these, raising public ire. Other grievances with his administration include police brutality, rampant corruption, the misappropriation of public funds and high living costs. The protests are unlikely to be destabilising or sustained, though these may continue eroding support for Ruto, Eurasia Group said in a research note. 'Ruto's political capital remains weak and ongoing controversial police violence will only weaken his political standing,' the global risk consultancy said on Wednesday. – Bloomberg
Al Jazeera
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera English ‘Head to Head' interview with Kimani Ichung'wah, the Majority leader of the Kenyan National Assembly
Kimani Ichung'wah, the Majority leader of the Kenyan National Assembly and member of parliament, has labelled allegations that the police kidnapped and forcibly disappeared protesters in recent large scale demonstrations 'a conspiracy'. 'I do not believe there are enforced disappearances perpetuated by the state in Kenya,' Ichung'wah told Head to Head host Mehdi Hasan in front of a live audience at London's Conway Hall. Ichung'wah, a close ally of President Ruto, was asked to address violent crackdowns against demonstrators by Kenyan police and security services, particularly in June 2024 when thousands of young Kenyans took to the streets in protest of the governments' Finance Bill. According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission, since Ruto took office in 2022 there have been at least 63 civilian deaths, 65 forced disappearances, and over 1,400 unlawful detentions of protesters. Ichung'wah was pressed further by host Mehdi Hasan on specific allegations, including from former Attorney General Justin Muturi who says that his son was abducted by the National Security Services after joining the 2024 protests and eventually released after President Ruto intervened. 'I tell you emphatically he has reasons to lie,' Ichung'wah said. 'He's playing politics with a very unfortunate incident.' Ichung'wah went on to state that Muturi, who is now serving as Cabinet Secretary of Public Service and Human Capital Development, might soon be out of a job. 'Justin Muturi knows he's probably on his way out, Ichung'wah said. 'He definitely knows it.' During the interview, Ichung'wah was also asked to clarify his personal net worth after Junet Mohamed, the minority leader in Kenyan parliament, joked that he was worth 5 billion shillings or $38 million US dollars. 'Not 5 billion,' he said. 'Probably about close to 1 billion.' On the widespread criticism of Kenyan MPs flaunting their wealth online, Ichung'wah said, 'It's rather unfortunate. Nobody should do that'. 'Members of parliament in my party in the House who I see flaunting things that are not palatable with Kenyans, I tell them, 'Hey bro, this is not good,' he added. Hasan and Ichung'wah are joined by a panel of three experts: Awino Okech, Professor of Feminist and Security Studies at University of London-SOAS; Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya and Moses Langat, Kenya Community Leader in the Diaspora based in the UK.
