Governor Abdulswamad to Ruto: Be true to your word, drop cases against protestors

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir has called on President William Ruto to fulfil his promise to ensure all cases against government protesters are dropped.

"Be true to your word and I know that you will do it. Drop the cases against those arrested," he said.

Nassir was speaking on Friday during the issuing of grants to various fishing groups drawn from Mombasa and Tana River, Kwale, Lamu and Kilifi Counties that was attended by the President.

The event was also attended by governors Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Issa Timamy (Lamu), and Godhana Dhadho (Tana River) as well as former cabinet secretary Aisha Jumwa MPs and several other MCAs.

The Mombasa County boss also told President Ruto that those who were injured and killed during the protest must be compensated.

"Your excellency I have heard you and I have also heard the words of my party leader Raila Amollo Odinga, those who were injured and killed during the protests must be compensated. Action must also be taken against those police officers who used excessive force," Nassir said.

Reiterated my political stand at the issuance of cheques to various Beach Management Units. As we support peace and unity in Kenya, we are for justice; we are for democracy. pic.twitter.com/hZ2YoeaPbI

— Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir (@A_S_Nassir) July 26, 2024

The Head of State on Wednesday ordered that all protesters who were wrongfully arrested during the anti-government protests be released immediately and all charges against them dropped.

Speaking during a state address at State House, Ruto said that it is imperative that the nation operates within the confines of the law and innocent protesters should not remain apprehended.

"I urge the criminal justice agencies to take effective measures and ensure that people who may have innocently caught up on the wrong side of things and those not implicated in crime be released and charges against them withdrawn," he said.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) as of July 16, 2024, reported that 50 people had died in connection with the anti-government protests.

In a statement, KNCHR said some of them succumbed to injuries while they were undergoing treatment while other bodies were discovered under the debris of the burnt Sunbeam Mall in Nairobi.

The deceased are from Nairobi (21), Nakuru (3), Laikipia (2), Narok (1), Kajiado (3), Uasin Gishu (4), Kakamega (2), Kisumu (3), Kisii (1), Mombasa (3), Siaya (1), Kiambu (1), Nandi (1), Embu (1), Homabay (1), Nyeri (1) and Bungoma (1).

The commission's Chairperson Roseline Odede also noted that the number of injured people at that time stood at 413 while 59 people had been abducted missing, and 682 had been arbitrarily arrested.