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53 killed in anti-Finance Bill protests, Police Reforms Working Group says

Members of the Police Reforms Working Group during a press briefing in Nairobi on June 26, 2024. (Photo: Mary Wambui)

By Mary Wambui | Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Out of these, 23 of the deaths were recorded between 7 am and 6 pm across the county while 30 others were recorded at night in the Githurai area.

At least 53 deaths occurred on Tuesday after the anti-Finance Bill, 2024 protests in Nairobi according to data from the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG).

Out of these, 23 of the deaths were recorded between 7 am and 6 pm across the county while 30 others were recorded at night in the Githurai area.

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"We believe that the massacre that happened in Githurai was fueled by an inciteful and ignorant address Ruto gave yesterday at State House," the group, an umbrella body of human rights organisations said referring to the address as a threat to Kenyans as "the massacre started at 10 pm."

According to the data by PRWG, 53 other persons were arrested and over 17 were abducted in Nairobi alone.

A police officer pursues protesters outside the Supreme Court in Nairobi on June 25, 2024, during demonstrations against the Finance Bill. (Photo: Justine Ondieki/EV)

"In Githurai alone, police shot and killed at least 30 innocent people at night. At least 100 more are nursing gunshot wounds," the statement adds.

The group said the police had no justification to deploy the use of force including live bullets and snipers against the protesters.

"It is not the protesters who are treasonous, it is Ruto who is," they said adding that the looting and destruction witnessed Tuesday was a security failure that should be blamed on the regime.

"Article 1 of Kenya's Constitution says all sovereign power belongs to the people, when Kenyans poured on the streets in numbers, they took back their powers per the law."

"Parliament is Kenya's property, anyone can access it because they hold the power. At no point are police allowed to blast people's heads because Kenyans have occupied their rightful house," they said.

The joint team has a situation room that is monitoring the numbers as they process ongoing information received raising fears that the number of fatalities might rise.