NAIROBI: Human Rights Watch reported on Saturday that at least 30 people were killed during protests in Kenya this week. The demonstrations were sparked by a government drive to substantially increase taxes in the country. According to a statement from the NGO, Kenyan security forces fired directly into crowds of protesters on June 25, 2024.
The exact number of fatalities in the capital city of Nairobi and other towns remains unconfirmed. However, based on witness accounts, publicly available information, and records from mortuaries and hospitals in Nairobi, Human Rights Watch determined that around 30 people were killed on that day.
Otsieno Namwaya, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the actions of the security forces, stating, “Shooting directly into crowds without any justification, including as protesters try to flee, is totally unacceptable under international and Kenyan law.”
Namwaya emphasized the need for Kenyan officials to ensure their forces protect peaceful protests and stated that impunity for violence must no longer be tolerated. The largely peaceful protests turned violent on Tuesday after legislators, under pressure from the International Monetary Fund, approved the deeply unpopular tax increases.
Following the vote, protestors stormed the parliament complex, and clashes led to a fire, marking a historic first since Kenya’s independence from the UK in 1963. In response to the protests and ensuing violence, President William Ruto’s government ultimately withdrew the tax hike bill.
