Police brutality during protest sparks condemnation from international community
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Stephen Jackson, expressed deep concern and called for justice and transparency.
The international community in Nairobi has raised alarm over the violent police crackdown on peaceful protesters during Tuesday's demonstrations, which followed the custodial death of Albert Ojwang.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Stephen Jackson, expressed deep concern and called for justice and transparency.
"Like Kenyans and Kenya's partners, we've been shocked by the recent violent events. We echo President Ruto's statement from 6 days ago: every member of the police has 'a tremendous responsibility for [every] individual's safety, security and well-being and must make every effort to discharge this duty conscientiously and without fail. There needs to be an independent investigation, full accountability and a consistent upholding of the Rule of Law, in keeping with the guarantees that this amazing constitution gives to every Kenyan, ” Jackson stated.
Echoing Jackson's concern, a coalition of European embassies in Nairobi - including the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, and Norway - issued a coordinated statement condemning the violence and calling for accountability.
"We are deeply disturbed by violence against unarmed civilians & protestors yesterday. We urge a swift, independent & transparent investigation into the actions of the police," read the joint message, posted in identical language across the embassies' official X accounts.
The envoys also emphasised the role of the police in maintaining public trust: "Police forces must command the trust & confidence of those they are duty-bound to serve & protect."
These strong diplomatic reactions come in the wake of several high-profile visits by European leaders to Kenya, with Finland being the most recent among them.
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