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Kindiki condemns protest-related deaths, calls for accountability

Police officers on Uhuru Highway during the anti-Finance Bill protests on June 20, 2024. (Photo: Justine Ondieki/EV)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Friday, July 5, 2024

The CS stated that the families of those who died will receive justice via accountability.

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has stated that the deaths reported during the anti-Finance Bill protests were unnecessary and should not have occurred.

Speaking on Thursday at Citizen TV, the CS stated that the peaceful demonstrations were hijacked by dangerous criminal gangs, resulting in a security breach.

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'The loss of lives that were occasioned during the protests is regrettable. The cabinet sent its condolences and I reiterate in my capacity as the interior minister, it should not have happened," Kindiki said.

"The death of a single Kenyan is painful and a loss to the country," he added.

The CS stated that the families of those who died will receive justice via accountability.

"Any death outside the law must be accounted for. Of all the Kenyans who lost their lives, we have an account for each one of them. A file has been opened for each one of them. Investigations are ongoing," Kindiki added.

Anti-government protests have erupted in the country during the previous two weeks, beginning on June 18, 2024, to reject the Finance Bill, 2024.

Three more protests were held on June 25, June 27, and July 2, 2024.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission said on Thursday it had confirmed the deaths of 41 people and over 350 injuries mostly attributed to police action.

In addition, he commended police officers who acted with restraint to maintain peace and order.

However, he admitted that police officers who used excessive force would be held accountable.

"Our officers did their best in the circumstances, some of them got hurt, 43 of them. We commended those officers who did what they did within the law," Kindiki said.

On Thursday, the cabinet said police officers found to have conducted themselves unlawfully in the course of containing anti-Finance Bill protesters will be held accountable within the law.

In a dispatch after a meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, the cabinet said all claims of police excesses would be investigated and officers found culpable punished.

"It was noted that claims of unlawful conduct by some law enforcement officers would be investigated and dealt with within the law," the dispatch read further.